My Greatest Adventures
by Ultimate Warrior of Zera
Summary: Superman enters his life story in The Fortress of Solitude's memory log.
1. Surprise

**Surprise**

**Author's Note: **Disregard my previous story, **Superman: Origin**. This is a new take, all from Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman's point of view. Sections in italics are his thoughts. In this story, Kara-El/Supergirl is Kal-El's sister and came to Earth in the same ship. The Kents named her, Mae. This story borrows elements from many other shows. Please review.

Fortress of Solitude Memory Log:

_Hi, my name is Clark Kent. I used to be an average farm-boy in Smallville, Kansas. Sure, I had two loving foster parents, a kind foster sister, a best friend, and the beautiful Lana Lang as _my _girlfriend. I had good grades and was very good at sports. Little did I know that on April 17, 1979, me and my sister's estimated 14__th__ birthdays, things were about to change in a _big _way_…

"Hey, Pete! I'm open!" I call.

"Go for it, man!" He tosses the football and I catch it. I run for the end zone, but Kenny is on my tail, and gaining fast. Suddenly, I put on a burst of speed, scoring the touchdown!

_Holy cow! Where did that come from? _The coach blew his whistle. "Time! Team Red beats Team Blue 12-6!" My team started cheering, while Team Blue grumbled.

Pete Ross, my best friend, slapped me on the back. "Way to go, my man!"

"Hell no! Kent, there's no way you could've beat me!" Kenny roared. He marched over to us, clenching his fists. _Oh boy._

Fortunately, Coach Monty positioned himself between us. "Braverman, cool down, kid," he called in a soothing tone.

Kenny looked like he was about to have a tantrum. "Shove it, old man! Ever since 3rd grade, Kent here has always beaten me at everything! Well, no more!" He lunged. Before I knew it, I was on the ground, clutching my jaw. "Ow! What are you made of?" he cried out, cradling his hand.

Coach Monty was furious, "That does it, Kenny Braverman, detention! Oh, and you're off the team, too." Pete and the other players helped me up. Instead of leaving, Kenny roared, then made a beeline for me, knocking down anyone in his path. He threw another punch, but I was ready for it and blocked.

_Strange, I barely felt it, this time. _He unleashed a flurry of punches, but I block them all. Everyone watched in amazement at my reflexes. I catch a fist in each hand and squeeze. Kenny grunts in pain, but he spits in my face. _That does it! _"You bastard!" I punched him, but to my shock, he flew 20 feet through the air and landed in a heap!

"Oh my God!" Everyone screamed.

The coach checked Kenny's pulse. "He's alive! Don't worry!" He and everyone else stared at me with a mix of horror and amazement.

"Oh God, did I do that?" I fell to my knees and stared at my hands in shock.

"Clark Kent, as much as I regret this, detention. I will call Kenny's parents and take him to the hospital. Uh, happy birthday." Coach Monty loaded Kenny onto his shoulders and walked away. _What the hell is going on!?_

I entered the detention hall, and to my surprise, two people I never thought I would see here, were here. Lana Lang, my red-headed girlfriend, and Mae Kent, my blond foster sister. I ran a hand through my own black hair, "What you two in for?"

"Some pervert felt me up, so I beat him down," Mae smirked.

"It was amazing, she tossed him around like a rag doll. I kicked him while he was down. So babe, what are _you _in for?" Lana asked playfully.

"I beat up Kenny."

Mae snorted, "Serves that jerk right."

"Yup, he was so perverted, and he always got so upset whenever someone beat him at anything," Lana added.

"Quiet! This is detention, sit down," the guard told us. We reluctantly did so. _Interesting, Mae put on a burst of strength, too._

After detention, I drove Lana home and kissed her. "See you, happy birthday, you two."

"Thanks!"

Mae and I drove home (In case you don't know, we were allowed to drive early, since we live on a farm).

"Um, Mae? Did you by any chance put on bursts of speed and strength, today?"

"Yeah, Clark, I did. That pervert was twice my size, but I could pick him up like he was a child."

"Dang, when I punched Kenny, he went flying. He almost died!" I lost my concentration, and almost went off the road.

"Clark, calm down! We'll make it through this. I promise."

We arrived home. As we opened the door, our foster parents, Jonathan & Martha Kent, blew on horns, "Surprise! Happy birthday! Don't worry, your teachers told us the whole story, and we understand." We both chuckled nervously.

Mae, "Uh, Mom? Dad? We need to talk."

Mom smiled, "About what, sweetie?"

I sighed, "About _this_." I walked over to Dad's bookcase and lifted it up with one hand. I felt no strain at all.

"Oh my God!" Dad yelled. Mom stumbled back.

"Yeah," Mae sighed, "About that."

_To Be Continued…_


	2. Search

**Search**

Mom and Dad hung their heads and sighed. Dad gathered himself, "Martha, I suppose it's time."

Mom looked like she was about to cry, "Jonathan, please no!"

Mae impatiently exclaimed, "All right, what's going on!?" _Yeah, that's what I want to know._

Dad looked at his feet and muttered, "Kids, as you know, we adopted both of you, as babies, on the same day. Well, what we don't know is where the two of you came from."

"Say what?" I mutter.

"Here, follow us," Mom said, finally getting control of herself. We followed our parents into the cellar, more confused than ever. Dad gets a crowbar and walks over to a large crate, about 6 by 3. He tries to open it, but given that he's 53 years old, it's a little hard for him.

"Uh, Dad? Maybe we should help with that," I say. Mae and I reach the crate and, with ease, pry open the lid.

Inside, is some kind of spaceship! It does not look like anything we had ever seen before, even in science fiction. For starters, it is made of some kind of white crystal, instead of metal. In spite of that, I can tell it is a lot more streamlined and obviously better constructed than anything NASA could achieve.

"What in the world is that!?" We exclaimed.

Mom said, "Fourteen years ago, we were driving home, when there was a meteor shower. When it ended, we saw a crater off the road. Inside, was this _ship_, and it is where we found you."

"Whoa! That's crazy!" I shout. Mae was stunned.

"I assure you, it's not. It opened, and you two were in it. As soon as we pulled you out, it shut tight. We couldn't pry it open with anything," Dad said, sadly.

"You've been keeping this from us the whole time?" I asked.

"Yes, we didn't want to lose you two. We were so scared you would have caught on sooner. After all, you guys never got sick," Mom sobbed.

Mae gently hugged her, "Oh, Mom, you'll never lose us."

"Yeah, that's right!" I exclaim proudly.

"Splendid! Say, with your newfound strength, do you think you could open it?" Dad asked us.

"We can try. From what you've said, we are from outer space. It would be good to know where we came from. Mae, help me with this," I say. We reach for the ship, but as soon as we touch it, it lights up!

We jump back, as the ship opens up. It is clear that the ship doesn't actually have doors or handles. The crystal is shape shifting, a hole appears on top and gradually expands. We all stare. _This is unreal! _Finally, it stops, and we can peer inside.

Inside are some long sheets, some red, some yellow, some blue. They look like leather, but they feel like cloth. Dad muttered, "I've never encountered a material like this before." Suddenly, the ship glows again, and it emits a strange, pulsing noise. _Strange, I don't hear any words, but I can understand what it is trying to tell me. _I turn to my sister and see that she also understood it. We pull the sheets out, then the ship contracts, folding in on itself and shrinking. Before long, the crystal is now a rod as long as a football.

"What's happening!?" Mom screamed frantically.

"Don't worry, Mom, the ship gave us a message. If we can bring it to Antarctica, it will explain everything to us," I say.

"Antarctica!? How in blazes could we get _there_!?" Dad yelled.

"Not we, us. Just the two of us," Mae says. I nod in agreement. Our parents are beside themselves.

Mom is clearly suffering, "You promised you would never leave us!"

"Please, have faith in us. It's Friday, so we will be back in about two days. We promise," I assure them while picking up the crystal.

Dad works up a smile, "Good luck."

Mae and I pack some food, extra clothes, and supplies into our camping backpacks. _Oh man, I hope we're not making a mistake. _"All right, let's put our new speed to the test," Mae says.

We stand side-by-side and hold hands, "Got to go, love you!" Then, we run.

_This is incredible! _All around us, time seems to slow down. The people look almost frozen, while machines like a thresher's blades look like they are moving at half speed. We look around in awe, but realize we must be careful, and keep moving. The scenery appears to fade in and out, changing as we move from location to location, moving ever south.

Mae stumbles, and it takes a lot of effort to keep her from tumbling in the sand. We stop, exhausted. I look around, judging from the sand and the sign on the empty, two-lane highway, we are somewhere in the deserts of Mexico. I check my watch, "This is unreal, it's only been five minutes!"

"Are you serious?" Mae panted.

"Yeah." We rest, the heat of the sun does not bother us as much as it would ordinary people.

We sip from our canteens, "Hey sis, ready to go again?" She takes my hand, and we're off. After stopping to rest a few times, we have reached Cape Horn. The sun is almost down.

Mae stares at the ocean, "Now, what?" I spot a man with a rowboat and through sign language, barter for it in exchange for my watch. We row from shore, waiting until we are too far away to be seen.

By now, the sun has gone down, but the crystal lights up and points south. Once we gain enough distance from the mainland, we row at our incredible speed! Soon, the air grows colder and rougher, but we don't give up. Soon, we reach the mainland of rock and ice, Antarctica.

Mae looks around in confusion, "I barely even feel the cold! What do we do now!?"

"We keep moving!"

It is completely dark, except for the crystal. We run and run. Finally, in an area surrounded by mountains, the crystal pulses, telling us to stop. It orders us to throw it to the ground, so I do. We step back as it burrows into the ground. We scream in shock as crystal bursts out, expanding and changing shape. When it stops, it has taken the form of an enormous castle of glowing white crystal, shaped vaguely like a semi-dodecahedron with twelve tall pillars around the perimeter. Unlike the ship, it had a door, a huge one.

A powerful voice, sounding similar to the crystal's pulse, bellows, "Welcome, Kal-El and Kara-El, my children. Enter the Fortress of Solitude."

_Holy shit! _

_To Be Continued…_

**Author's Note: **It is completely dark in Antarctica because the poles do not receive any sunlight during its six month winter. The Southern Hemisphere has winter during our summer.


	3. Origin

**Origin**

"What the, did that voice just call us his children!?" I exclaim.

Mae nods, "I guess that's our real father. Let's go in, I'm starting to feel the cold!"

The door opens, so we hurry inside. Then, it closes. The inside of this place is nice and warm, and all the surfaces glow white. There are no shadows whatsoever. We walk through a long hallway, until we reach a large chamber full of crystalline columns. _Unreal!_

Suddenly, a column emits a colorful beam, forming a hologram of a tall, muscular man. He wears a white uniform that is obviously made of the same material as those sheets we found in the ship. There is a pentagon with an "S" in it on his chest. _Is it just me, or does he look like an older version of me? Oh God, Father?_

The man speaks in his powerful voice from before, "Ah, it is wonderful to see you again, after all these years. I am your father, Jor-El, of Krypton." We fall to our knees in stunned silence.

At last, Mae finds the courage to speak, "Please, how is this possible? What is going on?"

"So I shall, my beloved Kara. Many eons ago, Krypton was a planet with a red sun, which our people called, Rao." As he says this, another hologram appears. It shows a solar system with a red sun, focused on a planet with small oceans and mostly black and brown landmasses. _That must be Krypton._

"It was once a savage land, not unlike Earth's various eras of history. Then, we tamed it by mastering our crystalline technology."

The view zoomed in on Krypton. The land is full of cities with buildings, roads, and bridges. All made of white crystal.

"It operates by using nanobots inserted in crystals. Crystals are most efficient in refracting and magnifying energy. Thus, the nanobots can communicate and convert energy into mass, or vice-versa…"

"Huh?" Mae asked, sadly. _I don't blame her. I can barely understand what he's saying, either. _

Jor-El does his best to pat her on the head, considering he's just a hologram, "Forgive me. I should have realized that human technology has not advanced enough for you to have a grasp of the concept of crystalline technology. We will save that for another time. For now, I shall explain our people's fate, and how you two came to be on Earth."

I raise my hand, "Father, how are you speaking English?"

"A few Kryptonians, including myself, have visited Earth on numerous occasions. We had mastered many of Earth's languages and units of measurement. I anticipated that we would come to this point, so I prepared." _That makes sense._

"Unfortunately for Krypton, although we excelled in technology, we failed to compensate with our own hearts." _What does that mean?_

"Our society became somewhat of a dictatorship by council, where only logic gained respect. Creativity and nonconformity were outlawed. I did not share their views, and had to keep my thoughts secret, lest I be arrested." The Krypton hologram changed to show a scene of people being massacred by soldiers, apparently for wearing different colored clothes. _How horrible! _

"Earth would have surely been doomed, but the council declared that Earth was of no value to them and off limits. Even through our special abilities require yellow sunlight to work, the council feared Krypton's ways would have been corrupted by Earth's influence. A powerful warrior named Dru-Zod, better known by his title, General Zod, had visited Earth once before being forced back." The hologram depicted a muscular but arrogant looking man. He wears a black uniform and the symbol on his chest looks like a mirror image of a dot, a right angle, and a thin, slanted Z.

"His desire to have such power again led him to organize a rebellion against the council. I had the foresight to determine that he planned to conquer Krypton, then Earth, then possibly the universe. The powers he would have gained on Earth, combined with his battle prowess and ruthlessness, would have made him unstoppable. Reluctantly, I assisted in defeating and apprehending he and his followers. He and his followers were sentenced to life imprisonment in the Phantom Zone. It is a pocket dimension, consisting of nothing but an endless void."

I cannot sit still, "What!? That's crazy! No one deserves that!"

"I know, but that was the council's decision, not mine. Anyway, before General Zod left, he vowed that defeating him sealed our own fates. The council foolishly dismissed his claims. I was rewarded with a higher status and a large payment. I met and married your mother, Lara-Van." The hologram shows an image of a tall, blonde woman in a uniform similar to Jor-El's. She looks radiant, like an older version of Mae. We stare at her in wonder.

"We had you, twins. We named you Kal-El and Kara-El," He sighs.

"You were merely six months old when I deciphered General Zod's warning. He had rigged a satellite to deliver a nuclear bomb to Rao, itself! The explosion would trigger a supernova! Only he knew the access codes to deactivate it remotely. By the time I had detected it, it would only take two days to reach the sun. It was too late to try to intercept it with a missile. I appeared before the council with my findings and pleaded for an immediate evacuation of the planet. Damn those arrogant, stubborn pricks. They knew the whole time! They said telling the populace would be pointless, and would only cause panic. Besides, our space program had been dismantled for years. They were prepared to let us all die, and said I would be arrested if I tried to tell anyone. Fortunately, I had been tinkering with space travel in my basement. The problem was that the crystal for your ship had only absorbed enough energy to form a ship of the small size that brought you to Earth."

We started to cry. Our parents had a chance to save themselves along with us, only for such a darn thing to happen.

Jor-El looks at us sadly, "Cheer up, nothing could have been done about it. The reason that same crystal was able to transform into the Fortress of Solitude was because it had been charging for over 14 years. We knew you would require guidance, but the crystal only had enough power to download _one_ person's brainwaves. Oh, I begged your mother to do it. I felt she deserved a chance to survive, to see you two, all grown up. Alas, she convinced me to do it. She declared I was wiser, more fit to teach and train you. Let us honor her sacrifice." We bow our heads. _Oh, mother. Oh, Lara, we will never forget you._

"Do not worry that I have been reduced to a computer program. I have come to terms with my fate. I will guide and protect you, for as long as I exist. This fortress is the last remnant of Krypton, but it has nearly all of its data. You may examine it at your leisure. I feel this is enough for now. Rest, it has been a long day."

His hologram shuts off. We take the hint and eat some food from our packs. A door opens, leading to a bathroom. We bathe, and to our amazement, our clothes have been cleaned and dried by the time we are finished. We dress and brush our teeth. We find dark room with a king-sized bed. We hop in and are out like lights.

_To Be Continued…_

**Author's Note:** I don't mean to be rude, but Please Review. The design for Zod's symbol is based off the one in Smallville. I based the explanation for how crystalline technology works on a scene in the comics where Superman looks at Kryptonian crystal with X-Ray and microscopic vision. Please don't accuse me of plagiarism.


	4. Mission

**Mission**

We wake up the next morning and have breakfast. The hologram of our father returns. He says solemnly, "I feel I should instruct you on how your powers work."

"Go ahead," We say.

"Remember, your powers come from exposure to yellow sunlight. The more light you absorb, and the more you train, the more powerful you will become. Be careful not to overexert yourselves in the dark, for you may drain your powers at an inopportune moment."

"Thanks for the warning," I say.

"Beware of red sunlight, as well. If you are exposed to it, you will grow weaker and soon revert to the stature of normal human beings. Never become overconfident, even at full power, there are forces powerful enough to pierce your flesh. Right now, you are incredibly strong, fast, and invulnerable. Correct?"

"Yes," We say.

"That is only the beginning. As time passes, you will be able to hear the slightest of whispers, see the smallest of microbes, see through any surface except lead, unleash heat from your eyes, blow mighty gusts, and finally, fly!"

Mae and I get excited, "Fly!? That's awesome!"

"Yes, it is, but remember: Those abilities will come to you over time. I know you have your own lives to attend to, but when you have the time, you are always welcome here to train and learn to control them. I only have one request. Will you two promise that when you are of age, you shall use your talents for the benefit of mankind? To help and protect them? To make sure that a tragedy like the one that claimed Krypton never befalls Earth?"

We raise a hand, "We promise, Father."

"Good. It is time for you to return to your family. The light in this chamber as already increased your strength. You should have a much easier time getting back. I am aware that the world's governments would readily attempt to capture and reverse-engineer this technology for their own ends. Do not worry, the Fortress of Solitude emits a cloaking field, protecting it from being detected by radar or satellites. We are safe here. Well, until we meet again, my children!" He vanishes.

"Good bye, Father!" The door to outside opens.

"I don't know about you, but I like Clark better than Kal," I say.

Mae shrugs, "I think Kara sounds cute, but I'll stick with Mae, for now."

It is still pitch black outside, but we can still remember where we were, and run at super speed to the boat. Miraculously, it is still where we left it. We row back to Cape Horn. I managed to find the man from before, and trade his boat back for my watch.

In about three hours, we are back in Smallville, Kansas. According to the calendar, in the gas station, it is Sunday morning. After some debate, we agree to tell Pete and Lana our secret. After all, they are my best friend and my girlfriend.

We run over to Lana's house. I notice something odd. _What the? What's Pete's bike doing here? He never comes here. _In confusion, I go to the front door, which is ajar, and throw it open. "Arrgh!" Lana and Pete are making out! They notice us and draw back in surprise. Mae tries to hold me back.

"Lana! How could you!?"

She looks at me sadly, "I'm sorry, Clark. You were gone and Pete showed up. I realized that Pete is my true love."

Pete looks like a condemned man, "Bro, don't look at me like that. Please."

I march forward, dragging Mae along. I abruptly remember the promise we gave to Jor-El and calm down.

"Alright, Lana, we're over. Let's go."

As we head for our house, Mae slaps me across the face, "Clark! What were you thinking? You could have killed them!"

I am so ashamed, "I'm sorry." I break down and cry in her arms.

Later, we get back to our house. Mom is ecstatic. She rushes out and hugs us, "You're home! You're home! My babies!"

"Martha, calm down," Dad sighs.

"It's alright," We say.

"So, what happened?" Dad asked.

"Well, it's a long story…"

_To Be Continued…_

**Author's Note: **Lana and Pete are married in the comics. I included the cheating scene because I don't really see Clark and Lana together. No offense to Clana shippers.


	5. Preparation

**Preparation**

**Author's Note: **My version of the Superman costume is not skintight, and will not have that underwear on the outside thing. Seriously, those aspects of his kickass costume are ludicrous. It will also have pockets, those are vital. The cape reaches Superman's thighs.

As high school, then college rolled by, we stopped by the Fortress of Solitude frequently. Like he said, the trip was easier each time as we grew stronger and faster. The two of us gained, one at a time: X-Ray vision, telescopic vision, microscopic vision, super hearing, heat vision, super breath, and flight. Through intense training with Jor-El, we managed to master our powers.

Flight was the most exhilarating one. The feeling of soaring into the clouds, free of all doubt, it is the greatest gift I can possibly imagine. As an experiment, I tried to fly up as high as I could. Jor-El promised that the cloaking field would protect me from the satellites as long as I stayed above Antarctica. I learned two very important facts, that day. A: My invulnerability protected me from the extreme changes in temperature, radiation, and vacuum of space. B: I still need to breathe! I nearly passed out, but I made it back to Earth in time.

Whenever we see trouble, we discreetly help people anyway we can. Judging by the way my coach and teammates reacted that fateful day, we decided not to enter the public eye. Then, we read reports of strange, costumed vigilantes popping up and doing their best to help people. People the media have named: Batman, Green Arrow, Question, Huntress, and Wildcat. At last! A way to use our talents and still lead normal lives.

We gathered those sheets that had been left into our ship. They are quite durable to wear and tear, and are fireproof. Jor-El shows us that the cloth can be hardened by treating it with a certain chemical and heating it. The sheets will do quite nicely for our costumes. I create: blue trousers, a blue, long-sleeved shirt, red boots, a yellow belt, and a red cape. As a tribute to our family, I fashion a yellow pentagon with a red S symbol, the symbol of the House of El, onto my shirt and cape. Mae creates a similar outfit, but with a skirt. I protested that a skirt isn't practical for flight and combat, but she insisted, and pointed out that she wears shorts under it.

Mae decided to take up medicine in college, so she told me to go ahead and she would catch up. So, on May 4, 1987, I decided to set up shop in Metropolis, Delaware…

Metropolis, a city filled with towering skyscrapers and laboratories for research on high-tech equipment. I choose a simple job, so I would have the most free time for my new role as a superhero. So here I am, at the news building called the Daily Planet.

_To Be Continued…_


	6. Meeting

**Meeting**

**Author's Note: **According to a few sources, the people in charge of DC Comics decided that Metropolis is in Delaware and Gotham City is in New Jersey. Until that is refuted, I will use those locations for my story. Clark will not have his traditional job. It is just my personal preference. No flames, please! I feel Erica Durance is the most beautiful live-action Lois Lane, so my Lois will look like her.

_Okay, Clark. You can do this. It's just a job interview. _I looked around and see that the place looks a bit untidy. I also note that the female employees are eyeing me like a piece of meat, despite the dorky false eyeglasses I use to distinguish myself from my alter ego. With my super hearing, I hear them whisper stuff like: "that guy is so buff" or "twenty bucks on who can do him, first". _Oh, great._

A man with red hair and a bowtie walks up, "Don't mind them. You must be the new job applicant. The name's Jimmy Olsen."

"Clark Kent." We shake hands.

"The Chief's office is that way. Good luck, CK!"

I enter the office of the boss of the Daily Planet, Perry White. He is middle-aged, a bit chubby, but looks strong and intelligent, overall.

"Hello there. You must be Clark Kent. You're right on time! Sit down," He calls in a booming voice.

"It is a pleasure you took the time to see me," I say. I hand him my résumé and he looks it over.

"So, you're from Smallville, Kansas. Tell me, why would an athlete like you want to be a custodian?"

"I would like a job where I do not get in people's way. A job where I have lots of time for myself. Plus, I grew up on a farm. I don't mind cleaning, repairing, and organizing things."

"Very good. You know, since we haven't had a custodian in quite a while, why don't we skip the paperwork? Kent, you've got yourself a job. You can start right now." We shake hands and I get to work.

I start in the bathrooms. The lights are covered with dust and dead bugs and there is a burned out bulb. I quickly take care of them and start on the stalls and sinks. In minutes, they are sparkling white. I work on the water dispensers, floors, tables, windows, the picture frames, and so on. By one o'clock, the building looks almost brand new!

"Well, Smallville, looks like you're a little miracle worker. I've never seen such a hygienic bathroom before."

I turn to the source of the voice and am nearly floored! The woman before me is tall, brunette, and is just as beautiful as Lana was! "Whoa," I stammer.

"Hey, Smallville! Eyes up. Okay."

"Oh! Sorry! Uh, the name is Clark Kent."

"Well, _that's_, a cute name. The name's Lois Lane, star reporter of the Daily Planet." We shake hands. "I'll see you around, mister." She turns, "Hey, Chief! I'm leaving for my flight!"

Mr. White waves and replies, "Have a safe trip! And don't call me Chief!"

She leaves, and Mr. White walks up. He slaps me on the back, "Well, I don't know how you did it, but you did an awesome job with this place! Tell you what, how 'bout I give you your paycheck early, and give you the rest of the day and tomorrow off?"

"I'd appreciate that, sir."

"Good. Here you go."

As I leave, counting my money, I can't get Lois out of my head. _Oh Lord, she was so beautiful. And feisty. Wait! I can't get distracted! I have a job to do._

After making sure no one is looking, I discard my glasses, change into my costume at super speed, change my hairstyle from a regular to slightly wavy, then fly off. I begin inspecting the city for any sign of trouble. I spot a man who has twisted his ankle on the sidewalk. I come down and help him wrap it.

He stares at me with disbelieving eyes, "What are you supposed to be, fella?"

"Me? I'm a friend. See you around," I reply before flying off. He starts yelling, but I'm already gone.

I continue fixing minor things, like cleaning broken glass from the road. The people all point and yell at me in disbelief. _I probably should have thought this through some more. I just hope they don't call the police on me like they did when Batman debuted. That incident turned a bit ugly. I still don't get why they did that._

Suddenly, I detect the sound of an explosion from above. I scan the heavens and discover the turbine of a Boeing 747 that had recently left the airport has blown out. _No! It's going to crash! Lois!_

With all the speed I can muster, I fly under the plane and brace myself. I scan the fuselage for the middle point and grab on with both hands. _Oh God! This thing's heavy! _I remember that I must be very careful. If I let it stop too fast, the people inside will feel a tremendous impact and the plane could break.

I struggle to position the aircraft over Metropolis Central Park, the nearest flat area. Below us, citizens, paramedics, firemen, and police have gathered, too amazed to move. One officer gathers his senses and shouts, "Everyone, back up! Back up!" The people comply.

_Thanks. _Muscles straining, I finally set the aircraft down, gently. Then, I fly up andforce the emergency hatch open. The life raft-like ramp extends down. To my surprise, the person standing on the other side of the door is Lois! She looks just as surprised as I feel.

I scan the plane with X-Ray vision. No one appears injured. I gather myself and quip, "I hope this experience hasn't put you off flying. Statistically speaking, it's the safest way to travel."

As she tries to process this, the police gather. The officer who had corralled the people earlier shouts, "This is Officer Dan Turpin! Freak, stand down and surrender or we will be forced to open fire!" _You've got the be kidding me!_

As the people shout in protest, I fly away, too fast for the fuzz to react.

"Wait!" Lois shouts.

I reach an alley just outside my apartment and change back into Clark Kent. That _went well._ I do a last-minute sweep of the city. Everything seems fine, so I decided to rest.

To Be Continued…


	7. Suspicion

**Suspicion**

**Author's Note: **I know that everyone except Luthor, General Wade Eiling, and Batman reacts favorably to Superman's debut, but it's my story and I can do what I want. No flames, please! Besides, there are a few Smallville episodes where Clark is attacked by paranoid people, including one where a religious fanatic accuses Clark of being the False Prophet or the Antichrist mentioned in the Book of Revelation, then tries to destroy him.

The next day, the city was in an uproar over the previous events. I eavesdropped on the Daily Planet. Perry was chewing out the reporters, including Lois and Jimmy. Lois had decided to cancel her flight, given the circumstances.

"You were right there, and you didn't even get a few questions in!? What's a matter with you, Lois? This could be the story of the ages!"

She bowed her head in shame and fear. _Dang, she doesn't deserve that._

Perry continued, "All right. Lane, Olsen, I want both of you to get the scoop on this flying nutcase. Be careful, these freaks are dangerous."

Jimmy protested, "How can he be dangerous, he saved those people!"

Perry, "Just get out of here!"

The reporters gulped and cleared out. _They deserve better._

I eavesdropped on the police station. Many of them, including the "Turpin" guy I met yesterday, were mobilizing, gathering armor piercing rounds, anti-aircraft weapons, net launchers, and calling the US Government to request reinforcements. All to capture or destroy me. _Christ._

Its just like how the fuzz reacted to the other heroes, but on a much grander scale. _Of course, they don't have powers, so they are not as dangerous. But they consider me a threat to national security. _

Curious, I eavesdropped on the citizens. A few old-timers had negative opinions, but the majority, especially the ones that had been on the plane I had saved, were singing praises of thanks. Based on the symbol on my chest, they dubbed me "Superman".

_These good people, including Lois and Jimmy, believe in me. There is still hope. But first, I need to have a talk._

Mae and I gathered at the Fortress of Solitude. Jor-El's hologram appeared before us. He looked worried.

"My son, I have scanned news reports of your recent endeavors. What is your plan?"

"Father, Kara, I decided what I want to do, but I would like your opinion. There are people who have faith in me and what I do. And I have faith in them. So, I will allow myself to be interviewed."

Mae, "Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah. I won't say anything like where we live. Just enough to let the government know that we are not a threat."

Jor-El pondered, "I will trust your judgment. Good luck." He disappeared.

Mae, "You know what? I'm coming with you. It will make things less confusing when I debut."

"Okay."

Mae changes into her costume, and we fly off.

We arrive back in Metropolis. By now, troops have mobilized, patrolling for any sign of me. We hide above the clouds.

"Dang, this is going to be harder than I thought. Oh well, let's find Lois and Jimmy."

I gave Mae a description of the two and we scan the city with our telescopic vision.

"Bro, I found them. Boy, that Jimmy looks really cute."

"Focus. Follow my lead."

Lois and Jimmy were driving down a relatively empty road. The next thing they knew, the two of us had taken an end of their car and were flying them out of the city.

"Holy crap! What's going… uh hi?" Jimmy was staring at my sister, unable to take his eyes off her. _Awkward._

"Don't worry. We just need to talk someplace private," I say. Lois looks at me dreamily.

We set them down somewhere in the forest. They got out and started kissing the ground.

Lois, "Look, I never had a chance to thank you for saving my life the other day, so thanks."

"Your welcome."

"What's going on here?" Jimmy asked.

"I am Kal-El, and this is my sister, Kara-El. We would like to tell you our story."

With Lois taking notes and Jimmy recording us with his video camera, we told the two intrepid reporters all about: Krypton, it's destruction, how we survived, and our powers. We omitted our civilian identities, our source of power, and the Fortress of Solitude; for obvious reasons. I told them of how the people referred to me as "Superman" and decided that would be my superhero name. Kara decided her superhero name would be "Supergirl".

"Wow, that's amazing!" Jimmy exclaimed.

"We tell you our story because we hope that it will help the people trust us. We have no intention of hurting anyone or trying to seize power. All we want is to use the best of our abilities to help others. To uphold truth, justice, and a better world. Will you help us? There are soldiers and police patrolling the streets, seeking us out. When you release this to the press, will you do everything in your power to convince them that we are not their enemy?"

"We can't guarantee anything, Superman, but we'll try our best. We promise," Lois tells us, sadly.

"Then, we are done here. We'll take you home."

We carry them, in their car, then drop them off just outside Metropolis.

"Eh heh…Bye Supergirl!" Jimmy calls.

"See you around, big boy," Supergirl teases before flying away. _Jeeze, they're acting like school children having their first crush._

"Wait! Will I see you around?" Lois asks me.

"Lois, I'm always around," I say before flying off.

_To Be Continued…_


	8. Acceptance

**Acceptance**

**Author's Note: **To get an idea of what my characters look like, I'll name who I would cast if this was a live action movie or series. Clark/Superman would be Tom Welling. Jor-El would be Brandon Routh with age-enhancing makeup. I already said Lois would be Erica Durance. Jimmy would be Shia LaBeouf. Mae/Supergirl would be Sara Paxton or Mika Boorem. Perry White would be J.K. Simmons. Dan Turpin would be Donnie Wahlberg. Lex Luthor would be Kevin Spacey, but only if he beefs up to the level he attained in the movie American Beauty. Toyman/Winslow Scott would be Seth Rogan. No flames! These are personal preferences. I will cast most new characters as they come along. Also, I'm not sure if Brainiac will exist in this story, his personality and plans are a bit too complicated for me. **Spoiler Alert: **There will be _no _time travel.

Amazingly, Lois and Jimmy succeeded. The incredible public approval helped. Granted, the troops were still quite wary around me, and took a while to disband, but it was a start.

Mae bid me goodbye, and returned to UC Santa Cruz.

The next day, I came back to work. As before, I cleaned everything in record time. Everyone congratulated me, again.

Lois and Jimmy were given a raise. Exited, instead of asking for time off, they asked to be given their next assignment.

"Fine," Perry says. "Lex Luthor is our most influential citizen, so go ask for _his _opinion on this Superman and Supergirl."

"Mind if I tag along? I've always wanted to meet Mr. Luthor," I ask.

"Sure thing, Kent. You're done with your shift already," Perry says.

The three of us get into Jimmy's car and head for Luthorcorp, one of the world's leading companies devoted to new technology and research, rivaled only by Wayne Enterprises.

"CK? You should enjoy this, Lex is one of the coolest guys ever!" Jimmy exclaims.

"Don't listen to him, Smallville, he's just saying that because Lex throws massive parties full of trashy whores and he dreams of being rich enough to throw one," Lois interjects.

"Whatever you say," I reply. _God, she's so cool._

We arrive. After being frisked by security (my costume is in a highly compact compartment in the lining of my backpack, so it is safe), we enter the office of the man himself, Lex Luthor.

He is completely bald, but quite handsome and incredibly muscular, not fitting the typical rich business man stereotype. He walks with an air of sophistication, but I can tell by his eyes that he is arrogant.

"Ah, Ms. Lane, Mr. Olsen, my old friends. What brings you here, today. Who's your friend?"

"The name's Clark Kent. It is an honor to meet you, Mr. Luthor."

We shake hands.

Lois and Jimmy prepare their camera and notebook. "We have been asked to write a follow-up to the Superman story. Could you please give your opinion on him?"

Suddenly, Lex growls and grits his teeth. He shakes, looking like he is about to lose his temper. Finally, he composes himself.

"Would you excuse me for the second?" He says before darting for the bathroom.

"Whoa, what got into him?" Jimmy asks.

With my super hearing, I can hear Lex muttering to himself. "Darn it. I can't stand that flying freak. How dare that _alien _enter _my _town?!"

He returns, smiling. "Sorry about that. Now about that interview? Just tell your superior that I think Superman is amazing. One with that much power using it for good must be an upstanding citizen. Hate to cut this short, but I have things to do."

"We understand. Thank you for your time!" Says Lois.

I sadly follow the others out. I know Lex is lying, but this is something I must keep to myself. There is no way I can possibly prove what I heard without exposing my secret. I hear a whirling noise. _What the? _I turn around, and there's a small WWI style airplane heading for the window!

"Lex! Get down!" I cry before tackling him in the nick of time.

As Lois and Jimmy hide behind the door, the plane impacts, sending glass everywhere. When everything settles, the four of us gather around the plane, which is no bigger than a go-cart.

A voice, apparently a tape-recording, plays, "Hello, Luthor! This is the Toyman speaking. If you're still alive, you won't be much longer!"

As the others stare in confusion, I X-Ray the plane, and see C-4!

"Run!" I shove the others out of the room, just as it explodes!

Security runs up. "Mr. Luthor, are you all right!?"

"No thanks to you, you incompetent fools! Get an investigate team out here on the double. I want whoever's responsible for this found!"

"On it!" They reply.

As we step back to give the team room, I notice Lois looks lethargic.

"Lois! Snap out of it!" I cry, shaking her.

"Clark, calm down. Give her time," Jimmy says solemnly. "I'm a little shaken up, myself."

Lex walks up. "My apologies for getting you involved in that assassination attempt. I hope none of you are injured. Mr. Kent, thank you. You saved my life."

"No problem, but I think we should go."

Jimmy and I carry Lois to the car. She bolts up, shocking us.

"Holy shit! That was so cool!"

We roll our eyes and Jimmy drives us back.

When we get back to the Daily Planet, I slip away, then become Superman. I search the city for any sign of this "Toyman". I do not hear his voice, and with no clue of what he looks like, I find nothing.

_To Be Continued…_


	9. Test

**Test**

When I finally went to sleep, I lamented that I truly did not know how to find this "Toyman". I feared that he may strike again while I was asleep.

Fortunately, that didn't happen. I returned to work, and much to my chagrin, the front page article was all about how I saved the four of us from that toy plane with the bomb. I don't even want to know how Jimmy got a picture of that. It just didn't seem possible.

The staff ran up.

"Ah! Here's the hero of the hour!" Perry exclaimed, slapping me on the back with gusto. _This won't end well._

The female staff members crowded around me, nearly knocking my glasses off. _No! Mustn't lose them! _They were all asking questions, and trying to ask me out. The male staff members, instead of being jealous, congratulated me on my heroics. Obviously, Lex Luthor is quite popular, indeed.

I look ahead, and see Jimmy and Lois, staring sadly at me being swamped. I slip out of the crowd, then take them aside.

"Look, we're sorry you had to go through that, but we had no choice. We have report the news as it is," Jimmy explains.

"It's all right. I'll get to work."

As I begin inspecting the building, I notice a few spare mini tape recorders in the storage room. _Hmm, could be useful. _I take one.

My super hearing picks up marching footsteps. Curious, I peek out the window, and see the building is surrounded by a massive army of identical people resembling GI Joe! The bystanders scattered, taking shelter inside their cars or the other buildings.

I change into Superman and fly to the roof, unseen, placing the tape recorder in my pocket. I scan the soldiers and realize they are all mechanical, and lack any built in explosives, but their weapons are undoubtedly real. _Not good._

One of the toy soldiers, dressed like a general, step forward. The same voice from the plane issues from its mouth.

"This is the Toyman speaking. My demands are quite simple, really. I want revenge on Clark Kent for preventing me from killing Luthor the other day. So bring him out here, right now, and my soldiers won't be forced to kill you all!"

Someone inside calls 911. I look ahead, the police will not make it here for at least fifteen minutes. I have to hold the line, until then.

Perry, with a megaphone, shouts, "No way are we ratting him out. Go find him yourself!"

Toyman's avatar laughs. "Well well. You brought this one yourselves. Fire!"

The toy soldiers fire a volley at the building, with a few bullets heading for the window Perry had been sticking his head out of.

_Oh no! _With blinding speed, I fly down and catch all the bullets. The soldiers stare at me, as if in confusion, while all the people inside cheer. I open my hands, letting the bullets drop to the ground.

Toyman's avatar gasps in shock and delight. "What do you know? Superman! The game has just gotten a lot more interesting. It doesn't matter. You won't get in the way of my revenge, no one will! Attack! Fire at will!"

The soldiers do just that, but their bullets bounce off me, harmlessly. Some of them tackle me, and they're admittedly strong. Getting hit by them feels like being hit by a truck. I tear through them and blast a few with my heat vision. Some of them throw grenades, but I catch them mid-flight and quickly toss them into the harbor.

"Dang, he's so cool!" Jimmy yells.

"Keep your head down, you fool!" Perry orders.

Just as the police arrive, I have destroyed all of the 50 soldiers, except for the leader. It aims and pulls the trigger. Empty.

The police all stare at us in confusion. I admit, this situation is quite strange.

The toy general lunges, but I restrain it with a bear hug. It growls and Toyman begins ranting about getting his revenge, no matter what the cost. As it rants, I have an inspiration.

Drawing on my training with Jor-El, I concentrate on a variation of my X-Ray vision. I can see the radio waves in the air. I notice a wave going back and forth between the general and a small island off the coast. _Bingo._

I crush the general, breaking it in half. I turn to the police.

"Get in there and check if everyone is all right. I'll be right back." I take off.

In no time, I arrive and see a small warehouse. Inside are hundreds of toys and mechanical devises. Sitting in front of a bunch of snowy monitors and yelling into a malfunctioning microphone, is a fat, long-haired slob of a man.

"Ahem."

He shrieks like a girl and turns around.

"Ahhh! How did you get here!?" He sounds just like the voice from before.

"It doesn't matter. I'm taking you in, Toyman."

"Never!" He draws a water pistol and fires, but the stream is yellow. Shocked, I dodge it, and the stream burns a trench in the floor. _Acid._

He reaches for a remote control, but I fetch an extension cord at super speed, tie him up, and remove all the stuff in his pockets. He struggles, but there's no way he can get loose.

I discreetly turn on the recorder and ask, "All right, why have you been doing this?"

Toyman sighs. "My name is Winslow Scott. I used to be an employee of Luthorcorp, working in the toy design section. Toys were my life, and I needed the money to take care of my mother, who was on life support. But, 5 years ago, Luthorcorp experienced a rise in automation. That bastard Luthor decided that some downsizing was in order. I explained my situation, but he fired me anyway! I tried so hard to make ends meet, but it wasn't enough, and my mother died. I must destroy him and all his friends for this, I must!"

He begins to cry. I turn off the recorder, disgusted.

"Winslow, I assure you. You and your mother will receive justice. I swear it."

I pick him up and fly back to the Daily Planet. The staff and police gather around.

"Everyone, this is Winslow Scott, aka Toyman."

He moans, muttering about wanting the ground to stop spinning.

Lois steps forward. "He's right. He sounds just like the voice from the plane! How did you know where he was?"

"Lois, remember our interview? I can see many things, including the radio signals he was giving the soldiers."

I hand an officer the tape recorder. "He might have attempted murder, but you should hear his side of the story." I play the tape.

Jimmy runs up, "Guys! I can't find Clark anywhere!"

"Jimmy, I'm sure he's fine. Officers, make sure Winslow receives justice. See you soon." I fly away, then enter the building and change back into Clark. _All in a day's work._

_To Be Continued…_


	10. Achilles

**Achilles**

I waited for a few days after the Toyman incident. Well, I patrolled Metropolis and the rest of the world, then came back. To my disgust, Lex Luthor had declared that Winslow's confession had been nothing but slander coming from a lunatic. The authorities would not touch him at all.

I went to the police station and told them Winslow told the truth. Thanks to my hearing and vision powers, I could tell his biometrics had checked out. Despite being intimidated by me, Dan Turpin and a few others declared that such ridiculous evidence would not stand up in any court of law, and to stop wasting their time and get out.

Fuming, I left. I figured trying to press this issue further would be a dead end.

Suddenly, I hear a commotion. I look down and see the people running from a tall and extremely buff man going on a rampage in the streets. Punching holes in walls, the concrete, and the asphalt. _Must be on steroids._

I dive at him, but as I approach, I feel fatigue and a sharp pain all over my body. I flinch for a split second, then punch him in the jaw. He flies through a brick wall. _What was that pain? Oh well, it's gone now. Stranger still is that impact didn't feel like flesh, it felt like metal!_

The man steps out of the rubble, unscratched. The people scream and continue running and hiding.

He laughs, "You wimp, that didn't even hurt! Ha!"

He charges and I stagger as I feel the pain again. Before I can recover, he tackles me and proceeds to punch me repeatedly.

"Ugh!" It actually hurts! With all my strength, I kick him away, but he doesn't fly back as far as I expected. Again, when he is far away, I feel better, but my energy reserve is a bit low.

The police arrive. They order the man to give himself up, but he throws a piece of the street at them. I catch it, but the effort knocks the wind out of me.

One of the cops shoots him in the leg, but the bullet bounces off! Shocked, they empty their magazines, but all the bullets bounce off as well.

_This is no ordinary foe! _I scan him with X-Ray vision. The image I see resembles The Terminator without his flesh. Where his heart would be, is a large rock, glowing green and connected to the machinery by wires. The glow extends to a radius of about 20 feet. _Could this be why I feel weak when I try to get near him?_

"Everyone!" I shout. "He's a robot!"

The man, "So you figured it out. Big deal. I, John Corben, will kick all your asses!"

He charges, but I throw the street section back at him, knocking him over. I blast him with my heat vision, but it merely burns off some of his false skin, exposing the metal beneath. I try again, but the metal is unaffected.

"Why you!" Corben roars. "Look what you did to my face!"

He strikes the ground, puncturing a gas main! At super speed, I gather everyone and move them away, just before it explodes, taking half the street with it.

We look around, but he's gone.

"I've got to find him before he hurts anyone else!" I declare.

I soar up and scan the city with my X-Ray vision. I see him running through the sewers. I follow from above.

Before long, he has entered Luthorcorp. I notice that I can't see through the walls, so they must be lined with lead. I enter the building, moving at super speed to avoid being spotted by the employees or the security cameras. I find him, but remember to keep my distance. Soon he is in Lex Luthor's office, chatting with him.

Lex scowls, "I thought I told you not to come back until Superman is dead!"

Corben, "I'll get to that, just fix my face!"

"What? I though you were happy with the way you are."

"Sure, I like being so tough, but still. You turned me into a freaking robot!"

"Ungrateful punk! Without me, you'd still be nothing but one of Morgan Edge's hired muscle!"

"You!" Corben marches forward.

"Relax, my friend. I was a bit crass. I'll fix you up. By the way, John Corben doesn't suit you. You need a title that will strike fear into your enemies. Hmm, in honor of the coltan and titanium alloy you are made of, how about? Metallo!"

_Coltan!? So that's why my heat vision didn't work!_

"Has a nice ring to it. Alright!"

I do a quick check of the room, but the security camera is off. _Darn, I don't have any evidence that Luthor is behind this! Oh well, now is a good time to strike!_

"Hey there. Am I interrupting anything?" I ask, revealing myself.

"Superman!?" Lex roars. "Get him!"

Metallo lunges, but I blow him back, just in time. _Got to stay out of his range!_

Before I can react, Metallo rips out a section of the wall and rams me, pinning me against a wall. _He's strong. Wait, I don't feel the pain. Of course, lead blocks radiation! _

I realize that without the pain the green rock gives me, I am stronger that he is. I shove him back. Then, turning a bit of the wall section into a javelin, I strike with all my might. The makeshift spear knocks the rock out.

"No!" He screams and collapses, unable to move anything but his face. The rock was apparently his main power source.

Lex lunges for the rock, but I quickly cover it in lead and squeeze it shut.

"It's over Luthor."

"Not quite, Superman. I control everything in this town. Who are the police going to believe, a filthy alien, or Metropolis' First Son? You have the power to kill me right now, but I can see it in your eyes. You don't have the guts! How pathetic. I have many, many more of those green rocks. At first, I assumed they were merely sources of near limitless energy, but now I know. Judging from the data collected from your battles, while the radiation is harmless to humans, your body can't stand it! It is your Achilles heel, your downfall! I give you a choice, either serve me, or die."

_How repulsive. _"You were right about one thing. I am not a murderer. But, I will never serve such an evil being like you. One who would use his talents for evil. I will find a way to bring you to justice." I scoop up the groaning Metallo's body, along with the rock.

"I will find a way to kill you!" Luthor screams. "As soon as I do, I won't have any distractions when I move on to more useful endeavors, like finding the cure for cancer!"

"Sure."

I fly away, taking time to throw the rock into the sun. Then, I deliver Metallo to the police. I explain that I removed his power source, so he is no longer a threat.

For a fleeting moment, I fear Metallo will be taken apart like a lab rat. Unfortunately, I can't think of any way to help him. _That's two lives you've ruined, Luthor, most likely even more. I'll figure out a way to stop you. One day._

_To Be Continued…_

**Author's Note: **John Corben/Metallo would be played by John Layfield, aka the wrestler JBL. In the show, _Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles_, coltan is the substance that terminators are made of. It is real, the ore of tantalum and niobium. It has an extremely high melting point.


	11. Darwinism

**Darwinism**

**Author's Note: **The battle in this chapter is based on three different battles in the anime Ronin Warriors. Anyone who reads this, no offense to anyone of Native American descent. I am not familiar with this topic, but this chapter will feature Native Americans.

It had already been a month since I had made my debut. Things have been quiet since the Metallo incident. I could not find an opening in my quest to incriminate Lex Luthor. Supergirl came for a visit, and suggested that I take a break. She could watch over Metropolis while I was gone. I agreed, and warned her to watch out for Luthor and his glowing green rocks that could hurt us.

After clearing my trip with Perry, I began to travel from city to city as Clark Kent, moving west. I spent time learning the variations in customs, like accents and ways of thinking. Of course, I help out whenever I can.

After a week, I find myself at the forests of Wyoming, near Yellow Stone National Park. The sky is cloudy.

The next morning, I decide to go there, so I go to a park ranger to get a ticket. He is blonde and extremely muscular.

"Hello, I'm Mr. Sera. Enjoy your time here."

"Thank you. I'm Clark Kent. I don't see anyone else around."

"Oh, it's been a slow day. You know how it is."

We shake hands, but I notice a strange burning sensation. I shrug it off, collect the map he provides, and enter the park.

The air grows colder. I am somehow able to feel it, which should not be possible considering Antarctica doesn't bother me any more. Even more shocking, it begins to snow! _What's going on here? It's June!_

I hear a child cry out, so I rush to the scene. I see a Native American boy, standing on a tall rock and surrounded by a pack of wolves! A group of people, obviously his friends and family, are trying to reach him, but they can't get near for fear of the wolves.

I quickly change into Superman, then scoop the kid up to safety. The wolves, in fear, scatter.

I try to soothe the boy, but he looks scared out of his mind. I deliver him to the gaping group, who quickly snatch him away.

"Is everyone okay?" I ask.

An old man points an accusing finger at me. "Did you see? He flew! He must be a demon sent by the white man to finish us off! Kill him!"

They quickly draw weapons and charge. Shocked, I fly away until they lose track of me.

"Those ungrateful bastards, I'll get them for…" I stop in horror. _I was actually thinking of killing them. I can't think of things like that. I should get out of here._

I wash my face in a stream. _It's so cold!_

Suddenly, a bluish beam heads toward me. I dodge, and the stream is frozen solid. I look in the direction the beam came from, and see a bald-headed man in a cybernetic suit, wielding a strange gun.

"What the!? Mr. Freeze!?"

"Correct, Superman. I've taken an assignment to destroy you!" He fires the beam again, so I dodge, then tackle him. He pops up. _Oh yeah, from that news footage in Gotham, he's pretty strong._

"Why are you doing this? I thought you wanted revenge against the people who critically injured your wife, Nora."

"True, but the one I serve promises to revive her, should I win." He fires again.

_Batman defeated him by rupturing his suit, exposing him to normal temperatures, which he can't tolerate. _I blast his arm with heat vision, but it does nothing!

"Nice try, but my benefactor has given me a few upgrades."

I grow irritated. "We'll see about that!" I blast him again and again, but still nothing. _Oh no! I'm getting tired! But how? _I scan the area with X-Ray vision, but detect no green rocks.

While my attention was divided, Freeze blasts me in the leg, encasing it in ice!

"Ahhh!" Those accounts are right, frostbite really hurts! I defrost my leg with heat vision, and to my relief, the damaged tissues repair themselves in moments.

_I've got to end this, fast. _I change up at super speed, then hammer away at him with all my might. Soon, his suit ruptures, and he falls, unconscious. I actually have to force myself to stop.

I fall to my knees, panting in exhaustion, and shivering in the cold.

"What's wrong with me? And who is his benefactor? Could it be Luthor?"

A hearty laugh fills the air. The ranger from before steps up. The cold doesn't seem to bother him.

"Mr. Sera?"

"Wrong, my boy." He is surrounded in a bright light, and when it passes, his clothes are replaced by magnificent Greek armor, including a shield and broadsword. "Mr. Sera was merely an alias. You may address me as **Ares, God of War**!!!"

"No way!"

"Yes, I and the other Greek Gods are quite real. Of course, many of them choose to abandon the world of man, but not I. I enjoy my work, very much."

I think of all the wars in history. "You monster!"

"Don't think that way. My true duty is to regulate strength and aggression. I support Darwin's Theory of Evolution because it is true. The strong live and the weak die!" He points out the plants and animals around us, which are dying from the unnatural cold. "I sent that deluded fool Mr. Freeze to test you. And you, my friend, are strong! And open to aggression! Join me, in the ultimate war! With you at my right hand, I shall conquer this pathetic world. In the new world order, you can have anything you want, even Lois."

I look around me, then despite my pain and fatigue, rise. "No. I'll never serve you, evil one. I'm taking you down."

"That isn't an option, you fool! You'll pay for that!"

He draws his sword, extremely fast, and swings it. The motion creates a vacuum blade, headed towards me! I try to dodge, but it gets me in the left shoulder, drawing blood! The blade continues, slicing right through a tree!

"But, but how!?" I cry out, clutching my shoulder, which heals immediately.

"Did you ever stop to think why the cold is bothering you so much? Simple, Mr. Freeze started this snowstorm, after I charged his gun with my magic. It is apparent that magic can hurt you! My sword is magic too, in case you were wondering."

I suddenly fire my heat vision, hoping to take him off guard, but he easily blocks with his shield, which is undamaged. _All his weapons must be magic, too!_

"That was rather desperate, Superman. How disappointing."

I try my heat vision again, but I can't. I'm too tired.

"Try to be a little more observant, like me. I've had my eye on you for a while, and I've deduced that sunlight is the source of your powers! I have chosen the perfect battlefield. You can't win!" _No, I completely forgot Jor-El's warning about fighting in the dark!_

A desert eagle materializes in his hand, and he opens fire on me! In desperation, I punch the ground really hard, throwing up a wall of snow. The bullets are blocked.

Ares gives another laugh. "That was excellent! The fight for survival brings out the best in people. Then again, it isn't enough. Watch this."

He punches the ground, sending a wave of snow my way! I try to move away, but I am soon engulfed. I burst out, now even more tired than before. As soon as I do, Ares throws a frag grenade! I jump clear of the explosion of shrapnel, then hide behind a boulder.

"What now, Superman? Are you a coward? I know that you are Clark Kent. If you don't come out, I'll kill everyone you know: Jonathan, Martha, Mae, Jimmy, and _Lois_."

"No!!!" I roar. I dive out and tackle him, making him drop his sword. I hammer away at his face, but my blows are lessening in force by the second. He knocks me away, then rises.

"Ah, what's the matter, did I hit a sore spot. That Lois is very pretty. Maybe I should do her a few times, first."

"No, you won't!" I lunge, but he sidesteps, and I punch a rock wall, causing me to be buried up to my neck in rock and snow. I struggle, but I can't escape. The pile is too heavy.

"Guess you never imagined your own strength could be used against you." Ares retrieves his sword and raises it, but stops. "No, I want you to suffer, before I break your head."

He zaps Mr. Freeze, and he rises, his suit repaired. "Freeze, blast him!" He shoots me with his freeze ray, encasing me in ice.

I realize I can still see and hear. Ares tells Freeze, "He doesn't have the power to melt his way out. He will surely suffocate. Let me rest for a little while, then I shall restore your wife."

_You're lying, you fiend._ _Okay, I've got to think. I can hold my breath for twenty minutes. I was off my game ever since I entered the park. Of course! The strange handshake! He must have infected me with a seed of anger, making me unable to control my temper. He most likely did something to those Native Americans, too. I must focus, I don't have much power left, so once I get out of this, I'll have to use cunning as well as brute force._

I focus, drawing on all the lessons Jor-El taught me. Using whatever super speed I have left, I vibrate my muscles. Slowly but surely, the ice cracks, and melts. I am free!

Ares and Mr. Freeze turn in shock and the noise.

"Freeze! Don't serve him! I heard what he said while you were unconscious. He will betray you!"

"Liar!" Freeze aims his gun, but I quickly toss a stone into the barrel. Not noticing, he squeezes the trigger. The gun explodes, causing Mr. Freeze to be frozen solid!

I turn to Ares. "And now for you, bitch."

"What'd you call me!?" He roars.

"You heard me, bitch. You going to do something about it?" I position myself so my back is to the wall.

"Argh!" He punches the ground, creating the wave of snow. _Perfect._

Drawing on the last of my reserves, I leap _over_ the wave. Just as I predicted, the immovable wall causes the wave to backlash. I land on top, riding the wave back to Ares!

Ares stares, too shocked to move. I run, with my last burst of speed. The wave adds to my momentum, like a moving pathway from an airport! _Please, let this be enough._

I punch Ares in the face, the impact so great I feel my hand breaking. The job is done, Ares is knocked out.

"Guess you never imagined your own strength could be used against you," I quip. _Dang, that was the last of my power. With this broken hand, and this unnatural snowstorm, I'm not going to last much longer._

Like a miracle, the clouds part, letting the light through! I bask in its life-giving warm, as my injuries all heal themselves.

"You have done well, Superman," A gentle, harmonic voice says.

I turn, and standing before me is a tall, beautiful woman. Not even Lois can compare to her beauty. She wears a peplos, helmet, spear, and shield. An owl perches on her hand. Her hair is blonde, her eyes gray. I recognize her immediately and fall to my knees.

"Greetings, Athena."

"Rise, my friend. You have earned my respect. You managed to defeat my brother, one of the mightiest gods, on your own. My father, Zeus, my step-mother, Hera, and my brother, Heracles, were most likely the only gods powerful enough to fight him. Alas, they have lost interest in the world."

"I understand, I could tell Ares wasn't lying, when he said that."

Athena hoists Ares on her shoulders. "Don't worry about this park, or that tribe you ran into. As soon as Ares was knocked out, his enchantments wore off."

I look around, the ice is fading away, like dry ice.

"Ever since most of the Olympic Pantheon declined to govern Earth, I have become the new Queen of the Gods, by default. I have been trying my best, but it's so hard! I will lock Ares up, but you must be wary, should he escape to trouble the world, again."

"I will."

"No matter what happens, remember that you have the blessing of the Goddess of Wisdom." She kisses me on the cheek, then vanishes, taking Ares with her.

I take the still frozen Mr. Freeze back to Gotham City. As soon as I arrive, the police and Batman meets me.

He eyes me suspiciously. "What is this?" His voice is not at all friendly.

"I ran into Mr. Freeze at Yellow Stone National Park."

"What was he doing there?"

"He decided to work for someone who promised he would restore his wife. The bastard was lying."

"Who was this accomplice?

"You wouldn't believe me, but his goal was to create a world where the strong live, and the weak die."

"That's ridiculous!"

I hand Freeze over. "I know. If there was a world like that, it would be Hell on Earth." I fly away.

_To Be Continued…_

**Author's Note: **Ares would be played by Brad Pitt, beefed up to the level he achieved in Troy. Mr. Freeze would be played by Colm Feore. Athena would be played by Michelle McCool. Batman would be played by Christian Bale. The last quote is from Rurouni Kenshin. Kenshin Himura says this regarding Shishio Makato's philosophy, which is nearly identical to Ares'.


	12. Dirge

**Dirge**

**Author's Note: **I mentioned the battle in the previous chapter was based on three different battles in Ronin Warriors. In case you don't watch it or simply couldn't figure it out, I'll explain**. **

**Battle 1: **Cye vs. Red Torrent. Cye faced a much stronger opponent, meaning he couldn't win by simply taking him head-on. Cye beat him by riding Red Torrent's water attack back to him, using his strength against him.

**Battle 2: **Sage vs. Cale. They fought in a forest with a supernatural blizzard that was killing everything in it. Cale tried to convince Sage to join the bad guys. When Sage refused, Cale said, "That isn't an option, you fool! You'll pay for that!" Sage had to struggle to control his temper, which threw him off his game. Sage beat him after he cleansed himself of his negative thoughts.

**Battle 3: **Kento vs. Dais and The Sand Strikers. They fought in an environment that nullified Kento's powers. In Kento's case, a wasteland of sand rendered his ability to generate earthquakes and shockwaves nearly useless (the soft sand cushioned the impacts, reducing their strength). When Kento gets buried up to his neck, Dais pauses The Sand Strikers from finishing him off, and says, "I want him to suffer, before we break his head." Dais also says, "I've chosen the perfect battlefield!" Kento beat them by focusing his mind and his energy into a concentrated blow.

I'm not sure if I will include Mr. Mxyzptlk in this story. If anyone can offer suggestions for a suitable plot, I just might do a chapter or two with him.

The villain in this chapter is Irish. I am not an expert in these matters, so the villain's dialogue will be normal. Just pretend it is typical Irish speech. Apologies in advance.

I flew back to Metropolis, knowing that my most recent battle needed to be reported to Supergirl and Jor-El.

I nearly collided with Supergirl, for she was flying out of the city. I notice her costume had a few tears.

"Superman! Glad I found you, I have a great story to tell."

"So do I, but feel free to go first."

"It happened earlier today. Well, I don't know how it happened, but someone broke into Metallo's holding cell and inserted another green rock into him! He escaped and went on another rampage!"

"What!?"

"Don't worry, I took care of him. It took all my strength, but I managed to knock the rock out, just like you did. You were right, being around them hurts!"

I chuckle grimly. "Yes, it does. What happened next?"

"The authorities are transporting him to a government base. I have the rock, in this lead box." She pulls a small lead box out.

"Why haven't you destroyed it?"

"I figure we should bring it to Jor-El. He and the Fortress' advanced tools should be able to tell us what it is, and how we can deal with it besides hiding and using lead."

I'm a little embarrassed. "I didn't think of that when I captured the first piece."

She smiles, "Don't worry about it. Now, it is time for your story." She puts the box away.

"Well, I went to Yellow Stone National…"

A crash brings us out of our reminiscing. We hear people screaming for help, and things breaking.

We fly down to a local antique shop, which now has a broken front door, and are greeted by a bizarre sight. A woman with silver skin, white hair, claws, and wearing nothing but a silver/black leotard is threatening the staff and customers. I can tell the silver color isn't makeup.

"What's going on in here?" I ask.

The woman looks us up and down. Judging by her expression, she is as confused by our appearance as we are of hers.

She speaks in a harsh, but unmistakably Irish accent. "I don't know what you people are doing, wearing funny outfits like those, but stay out of my way." She brandishes her claws for emphasis.

"Funny outfits!?" Supergirl exclaims. "We could say the same about you!" The woman lunges, but Supergirl punches her in the mouth in midair, flooring her.

Surprisingly, she rises, and doesn't seem injured. Worriedly, I scan her with X-Ray vision, but unlike Metallo, she appears human.

"Interlopers!" She yells. She opens her mouth, wide, then emits a loud, piercing shriek.

"Argh!" We all yell, trying to cover our ears. To Supergirl and myself, who have super hearing, we collapse in agony. The people around us aren't faring much better. I even see blood coming from some of their ears. The magnitude of the noise is so great that the glass shatters and the stands topple over.

The woman finally stops, then begins sifting through the merchandise. We wearily rise and approach her, but she turns and slashes at us, knocking us back down. Her claws leave deep gashes. She finishes her search, then frowns.

"Damn it, the book isn't here either!" She turns to us. "Do not interfere in my affairs again, or feel the wrath of Silver Banshee!" She leaves, running at superhuman speed, but not nearly as fast as us. I estimate 60 to 80 mph.

We get up, and our wounds heal quickly. I look around. A few of the people are unconscious, but the rest are dead. _Oh God. _Supergirl begins to shake in anger.

"I'll get that bitch!" She attempts to fly off, but I grab her ankle. She snarls at me. "What did you do that for!?"

"Listen! You are not thinking clearly! The experience I had today taught me some really important things. A: Magic is real, and it can hurt us. B: We can get into serious trouble if we continually fight without sunlight. And C: There are some bad guys we can't beat just with brute force.

We have to use our heads. That woman was clearly a magical being, and rivals us in power. It is nighttime, and if we get cut again, healing is going to seriously drain our energy. And if we get hit by that scream again, it could put us down, for good. Is any of this making sense?"

She sighs, "Yeah, it does. We should find her before she hurt anyone else, though."

We fly, knowing she can't have gotten far.

"Judging by her comments, she seems obsessed with finding a book. She only attacks people who get in her way."

"Not to mention she's never heard of us." Supergirl pouts.

We spot Silver Banshee in an alley, and she's cornered Jimmy!

"Jimmy!" Supergirl yells. I hold her back.

"Relax, she not trying to hurt him. Let's observe."

Jimmy is confused and a little scared, but he stands his ground.

Silver Banshee sniffs him, then frowns. "You have the blood of a McLaughlin." She says in disgust.

"Uh, that's my mother's maiden name." Jimmy says.

"I see. I am Siobhan McDougal. The McDougal and McLaughlin clans have been feuding for centuries! Recently, a McLaughlin stole a tome that belonged to us, The Necropolitic! I sold my soul to a demon called The Crone to have the power to travel all the way to America to get it back! Now tell me where the book is, right now, or I'll kill you!"

Jimmy wavers. "Listen lady, I never heard of it! My mom immigrated here many years before I was born. I never even knew about the McDougal-McLaughlin feud until just now!"

Silver Banshee growls. "Then, you are useless." She opens her mouth, wide.

"Now!" I yell. At super speed, Supergirl scoops Jimmy to safety. At the same time, I speed down and grab Siobhan by the throat, preventing her from screaming. She attempts to claw at me, so I slam her through the pavement. She gets out of the crater, uninjured but a little shaken up.

"What manner of being are you!? I sense no magic within your body."

"Since you hail from the Emerald Isle, I understand that you've never heard of me. I'm Superman, and I will stop you before you hurt anyone else."

"Super or not, if you get in my way, you'll die like the rest!" She opens her mouth, but I super speed up to her and elbow her in the throat. She collapses, clutching her neck and gasping for air. She tries the scream, but nothing comes out. She attacks me with her claws, but I easily dodge and pummel her.

I X-Ray her. Her body seems to only take a fraction of the damage an ordinary human would take. Finally, she begins to waver. I notice Supergirl get behind her at super speed, holding a pipe. She clobbers her over the head with it, knocking her out.

"That's what you get for picking on my boyfriend." She growls.

"You and Jimmy?"

"Yeah."

I sigh. "What are we going to do with her? I doubt a prison would be able to hold someone with demonic powers."

In a burst of smoke, a wizened old hag, dressed like a witch, appears. I can feel pure evil radiating off her.

"The Crone, I presume?" I say. Supergirl and I get into defensive stances.

Her voice sounds incredibly deep and evil. "Correct, Superfool. Siobhan and I had a deal, I don't get her soul until the book is returned. Obviously, I did not give her enough power. Be on your guard, for you haven't seen the last of us!"

She and Silver Banshee vanish.

"We'll be waiting." I declare. My head drops. "Two magical opponents in one day. What are the odds? Oh well, we should check on that shop."

"The police are already there. There are witnesses, so they won't be able to blame the attack on us."

"Okay, let's bring that rock to the Fortress of Solitude."

As we fly off, Supergirl turns to me. "I just realized. You didn't finish your story."

"Right. I went to Yellow Stone National Park…"

_To Be Continued…_

**Author's Note: **Silver Banshee/Siobhan McDougal would be played by Shirley Manson. She is the lead singer for Garbage, and also played Catherine Weaver/The T-1001 in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. The Crone would be played in body by Ellen Albertini Dow (the grandma from Wedding Crashers) or Danna Hansen (the old woman from Crank 2: High Voltage) and voiced by Frank Welker.

A dirge is a funeral song. Thought it would be an appropriate title name.


	13. Mystery

**Mystery**

"You're kidding me! You met Batman!? That guy is cool!" Supergirl exclaimed.

"Yeah. Was pretty antisocial, though. I could tell he's not used to civil conversation. The worst part, even with that mask on, I could tell he looked at me like some kind of monster, or invader." I say sadly.

We arrive and enter the Fortress of Solitude. After repairing our costumes, Jor-El's hologram appears.

"Welcome, my children."

Supergirl pulls out the lead box. "Father, we need to analyze the contents of this lead box. It is harmful to us."

Jor-El does a double take. "I see. Place the box on that table and I will do the rest."

She sets it down, then we step back.

The table forms crystalline mechanical arms, which open the box. A green glow emanates from the small rock within, but we are out of range. The rock is scanned with a beam. Jor-El closes his eyes, looking deep in thought.

After 30 seconds, he opens them. "On a few occasions, I hacked into Luthorcorp's files. I may be one with the machine, but I don't think as fast as one. I still have to read and sort through all the files. Based on my scan, and what I have gleaned from the files so far, Lex Luthor has named this element kryptonite. It is radioactive with a much greater energy output and half-life than other isotopes, but the wavelength seems to have no effect on humans. Could one of you provide a tissue sample? Just place it on the floor."

I pluck one of my hair strands. A screen appears, showing the follicle, magnified. A mechanical limb carries it to the kryptonite. The cells in the follicle undergo cell death!

Jor-El sighs. "It is just as I feared. You must avoid this rock. If you stay in it's presence too long, you will die."

"Damn." I say. "Lex Luthor has a stockpile of those things. That guy doesn't even want to introduce them as a new source of clean energy, but he wants to use them to kill us."

Jor-El continues. "The range of each sample varies according to its size. This sample, the size of a fist, has a range of about 20 feet. Larger ones possess even greater range. You have one respite, though. When a sample is superheated, it is rendered inert ash."

"Awesome! We can use our heat vision from a safe distance against them!" I exclaim.

"Keep this sample here. I shall continue to analyze it and gather clues on how to counter it."

"Father, we have other important news." I say. I relate my encounter with Mr. Freeze, Ares, and Athena, then we tell of our meeting with Silver Banshee and The Crone.

Jor-El considers this. "In all of Krypton's records, we have never encountered beings such as these. In addition, the Kryptonian Council had abolished all religion and superstition, declaring them to be nonsense that has no basis in reality. However, I have a very open mind, and I know you speak the truth. You must be cautious. I doubt science can offer anything can counteract magic. But I believe you two can overcome any obstacle in your way."

"Thank you, Father." Supergirl says.

We say goodbye, then return to our respective homes for a good night's rest.

The next day, I returned to the Daily Planet. Jimmy was trying to tell Perry of his close shave with Silver Banshee.

"Olsen, for the last time, I don't have time for tall tales!"

"But, it really happened!"

"Whatever." He walks away.

I pat Jimmy on the back. "Don't worry, you'll get your big break. By the way, have you seen Lois?"

"She's at the Mayor's office. You've got it bad for her, don't you, CK?" He smirks.

"Am I that obvious?"

"Yes. Sorry, but it's clear she has the hots for Superman."

"Really?" I say, sarcastically. I walk away, chuckling.

I finish cleaning up the building, then leave and change into my costume. I inspect the city. It seems quiet, so I head for Mayor Rebecca Tarn's office. _I can't get Lois out of my mind. I couldn't make it work with Lana, but maybe this time, it will._

When I arrive, Lois is just leaving. She shakes hands with the Mayor and they are laughing. I listen. Apparently, they were friends in high school.

They see me, smile, and wave. I wave back, when I hear the unmistakable sound of bullets whizzing through the air!

I super speed over and catch them. Immediately, Lois, Mayor Tarn, and the rest of the people dive for cover. I judge the trajectory of the bullets and turn right. On the roof of a building is an African-American man in commando gear, wearing a bandana with eyeholes as a disguise, and holding a sniper rifle. He frowns and discards the empty rifle.

I angrily charge at him, but feel intense pain and fatigue, collapsing on my stomach. _Crap, he has a piece of kryptonite on him!_

The man laughs. "Well lookie here! That green shit work!" He reaches into his pockets, then pulls out two _long _desert eagles that by no stretch of the imagination could have possibly fit in them. "Eat lead, mothafucka!"

He fires, but I roll out of the way and tackle him. I scan him, the kryptonite is in his belt buckle. I notice there are tiny devices in his pockets that project small circles of energy. _Portals?_

I blast the buckle and his gun with heat vision, destroying both. The pain lifts.

"Ahhh!" The man screams, clutching his hand and navel in pain. "You'll be sorry. You ain't seen that last of Bloodsport!"

I tie him up and relieve him of his devices. I examine them with X-Ray and microscopic vision. _Dang, the circuitry is only a few steps below that of the crystals in the Fortress._

A calm, collected, and altogether dark voice emits from one. "Congratulations on defeating Bloodsport, but you haven't won yet. Come over to Metropolis Harbor. I assure you, there will be no more assassination attempts on the Mayor. The first one was merely to get your attention. I'll be waiting."

_To Be Continued…_

**Author's Note: **No offense to people who really speak Ebonics. I have a Superman comic with Bloodsport and I'm pretty sure he talks that way. Bloodsport would be played by Samuel L. Jackson. Mysterious Voice would be played by Ron Perlman. The identity of this person will be revealed next chapter. **Bio:** Bloodsport is an expert hunter/hitman. His pockets contain devices that project tiny portals leading to his warehouses full of guns of all shapes and sizes, meaning he has a nearly unlimited arsenal.


	14. Envy

**Envy**

**Author's Note: **I changed my mind, I would have Mae/Kara/Supergirl be played by Sunny Mabrey. I made up the name Mayor Rebecca Tarn, she will not be very important to the plot. I realize that Superman and the other superheroes battle evil every day, but for the sake of simplicity, my chapters will only include the most important events. Just like there will be no time travel, there will be no parallel universes. That stuff is too complicated for me. BTW, my one word chapter titles are based on the fact Smallville uses one word episode titles.

Incredibly angry that Bloodsport's boss or partner would willingly endanger innocent people's lives just to get my attention, I delivered Bloodsport to the authorities and sped over to Metropolis Harbor. I noticed a discrete signpost pointing to a manhole cover. I angrily rip it open and dive through.

Using my super hearing, I hear a heartbeat. Strangely, it is less frequent than a normal human heartbeat, only about 40 beats a minute. I put it aside and press forward.

Whoever it is throws a few flash bang grenades and lunges, but I shut my eyes and backhand him away. As the flash dissipates, I look upon my attacker.

_What a bizarre costume. _His entire head is covered by an egg-shaped, metallic mask. The left side is orange, the right side is black and has no eyehole. He wears a suit of body armor, with many weapons.

The man grunts and rises. "So you truly are as strong as the media makes you to be." He sounds like the dark voice from Bloodsport's transmitter.

I grab him by the throat. "Who are you!?"

"I go by Deathstroke The Terminator." He says, completely calm.

I quickly disarm him. "Do you have any other accomplices?"

Still calm, he answers, "Just one, and by now, he will have completed a bomb powerful enough to level the city."

I tighten my grip. "Take me to him!"

With Deathstroke pointing the way, I fly us through the tunnels, wrapping him in pipes and rebar to prevent him from escaping.

After about a minute, we enter a chamber with a massive, metal box, complete with timer. There is about an hour left.

I try to scan it, but it has a lead shielding. Undaunted, I put Deathstroke down and approach the device.

Suddenly, it unfolds, and a green glow washes over me.

"Argh!" I scream, in horrible pain and fatigue. To my horror, the device holds not a bomb, but a large man who seems to be covered with kryptonite radiation!

He slugs me, knocking me through the air. Deathstroke somehow slips out of his bonds with ease, then spin kicks me into oblivion.

I wake up with a groan. My wrists and ankles are shackled to the ceiling and floor, respectively, leaving me in a spread-eagle position. Deathstroke and his kryptonite accomplice are in the room, so I can't muster the strength to break free. To make matters worse, my muscles and organs feel like they are liquefying.

I flashback to how my hair follicle did under kryptonite exposure. _Crap, how long have I been unconscious!?_

The accomplice snorts, "So the jackass finally wakes up."

There is something familiar about his voice. "Do I know you?"

"You should, Clark. After all, you only ruined my life!"

Realization hits me. "Oh my God, Kenny Braverman!?"

He runs up and socks me in the gut, making me gasp for air. "The one and only, you son of a bitch!" He proceeds to beat me, while Deathstroke looks on, impassively.

Kenny continues to rant, throwing in several low blows as well. "You always beat me at everything! Then, you humiliated me! Beating me up and getting me sent to the hospital! Getting me kicked off the football team! I _never _forgot that! I waited, plotting my revenge. Later, I learned I can absorb energy and control it. Then, you became Superman. By the way, it wasn't that hard to figure it out, I know you too well. I waited, looking for weaknesses. I hacked into Luthorcorp files and discovered kryptonite. What luck! I collected a few pieces and absorbed their power. Of course, I knew I couldn't beat you alone, so I hired some help."

Deathstroke speaks up, "Indeed. Mr. Braverman, I have fulfilled my end of the bargain, I request my payment."

"Oh sure. It's in the briefcase on the desk."

As Deathstroke goes to retrieve it, two bat-like boomerangs sail right at him, but Deathstroke blocks and adopts a fighting stance. "Show yourself!"

An imposing figure charges in, Batman! He throws four more boomerangs, breaking my chains. With all my strength, I crawl away from Kenny, who is too shocked to notice. Batman and Deathstroke battle, in an impressive display of martial arts and weaponry.

As I get out of range, my strength returns, but not nearly enough. Kenny finally notices and chases me. He fires kryptonite, electrical, and flame blasts at me, but I dodge them and keep running.

"You can't escape me, Clark! I have energy itself at my disposal! I'm a living Conduit!" His body is now glowing with a combination of flame, electricity, and kryptonite radiation.

I reach a dead end. _Hmmm, judging by the higher air pressure, we must be underwater. I have an idea. _As Kenny approaches, I smash open the wall, letting a stream of seawater take a direct hit on him! Kenny screams as his fire is doused and his electricity is discharged. He collapses.

I seal the hole with my remaining glimmer of heat vision. Kenny is no longer glowing green. I check on him. _Oh God, he's dead!_

I fall to my knees in horror. Sure he may have been a horrible person, but I didn't want to kill him. I had made a vow to never take a life.

Sighing, I carry his body back. By the time I arrive, Batman has already defeated Deathstroke.

He looks at us. "What happened to him?"

"I got him wet, forcing his stored energy to discharge. The strain must have been too much for him."

"I'm sorry, I too have unintentionally taken life." He suddenly takes on a harsher tone. "Listen, Boy Scout, you can't just charge into situations without thinking. The only reason I arrived to save your ass was because I've been tracking Deathstroke for some time now. You had better improve yourself, or you'll get killed, one day."

"I'll keep that in mind." I look up, and suddenly, Batman and the unconscious Deathstroke are gone! _So, the stories are true._

I carry Kenny's body to the surface. It is sunset, but the light is enough to bring back my powers. I decide to fly him back to Smallville, so he can get a proper burial.

_To Be Continued…_

**Author's Note:** Kenny Braverman/Conduit would be played by the wrestler Randy Orton. Deathstroke the Terminator would be played by Ron Perlman. I was planning to put Terra-Man in this chapter, but decided against it; he may be powerful, but he's an idiot.

**Bios:** Kenny Braverman/Conduit (remember him from Chapter 1: Surprise) was a jock who was insanely jealous of Clark Kent always beating him in races, sports, etc. His father also beat and berated him whenever he lost. He gained the ability to absorb and emit various forms of energy, hence his codename. When he learned Superman's secret identity, he captured Clark and accused him of using his powers to cheat, refusing to believe Clark did not gain his powers until his late teens. He forced Clark to fight him in an arena of kryptonite, but Clark was still able to kick his ass. Furious, Kenny tried to absorb the electricity powering the arena, but overloaded and died.

Terra-Man aka Tobias Manning was a villain with a cowboy gimmick (accent, costume, guns, lasso, horse), geokinesis (earth manipulation), and control over plants. His plants could restrain and injure Superman. He was an ecoterrorist, attacking anyone he believed was harming Mother Nature. He was obsessed with killing Superman, believing that as an alien, he is an enemy to Mother Nature. He was eventually murdered by Black Adam.


	15. Weird

**Weird**

**Author's Note: **Right now, this fanfic was kind of like season one of Smallville. The chapters were kind of episodic, with the general theme of Clark learning and being a true hero every step of the way. I apologize for not updating in a while. I had Finals and now summer school to worry about. This story is about to pick up in a big way. I'm not good at detail, forgive me.

Out of respect for my old rival, I decided not to tell the residents of my hometown of Kenny's crimes. They believed me when I said he had died of electrocution and I had just been too late. It was how he actually died, after all. The funeral was decent; I caught up with my parents and they had missed me quite a bit.

A few months went by. Supergirl and myself continued to patrol Metropolis as well as the world. We prevented many accidents, stopped many criminals. We befriended other heroes, and promised to help one another out whenever we entered each other's neck of the woods. After much consideration and nervous panic, I started secretly going out with Lois Lane.

On June 16, 1988, Supergirl asked me if I wanted to do a double date. I agreed. I still didn't have the courage to tell Lois who I really was, but Supergirl informed me she hadn't told Jimmy she is Mae Kent, either. _Sly girl._

Of course, we agreed we should keep these relationships secret, to prevent Lois and Jimmy from being attacked.

At the end of work, I made my move. I changed into Superman, then approached Lois after I checked that she was alone. "Good afternoon, Ms. Lane."

As usual, she looked awestruck. "Hi, Superman."

"Listen, Supergirl felt like doing a double date. Are you up for it?"

"Supergirl has a boyfriend? Oh never mind, of course I'd love to!"

I took her in my arms. "Hang on." I carried her to the top of the Daily Planet's globe. Supergirl and Jimmy Olsen were already there, and had set up a picnic. It was the perfect location. The globe was the highest point in Metropolis, allowing us to scan the entire city and avoid the eyes of others at the same time.

"Olsen!?" "Ms. Lane!?" The two yelled at the same time. We awkwardly explained that we had been dating our significant others for quite a while.

After eating and making small talk, we suddenly hear screaming. The four of us look down and see a most bizarre sight.

Vehicles, foreign objects, and people are floating around in the air. Animals are dancing on their hind legs. Statues are coming to life. The clouds are forming words and complex shapes. There are enormous bubbles, solid rainbows, hundreds of feet of ribbon spewing out of windows. So many incredible things happening at once, it's impossible to describe them all. The scene in general, looks like a wacky cartoon.

We fly Lois and Jimmy down. Along the way, we are met by two flying individuals. A muscular, dark-haired man in a red suit with a lightning symbol on his chest and a white cape. A dark-haired woman in a similar outfit, but with a skirt.

I smile. "Captain Marvel. Lady Marvel. What are you doing here? It's a long way from Fawcett City, Wisconsin."

"You guys know each other?" Jimmy asks.

"We helped them deal with a super powered jerk named Black Adam a while back." Supergirl replies.

Captain Marvel speaks up. "We picked up a great disturbance in the balance of magic, so we came to investigate."

"Magic!? Get real!" Lois exclaims.

"It's very real. Our powers come from magic." Lady Marvel says.

"Lois, remember when I told you about Ares? Oh, let's catch up later, we have to help those people!" I point out.

We put Lois and Jimmy down, then the four of us rush out. With our combined super speed, we manage to rescue the people in immediate danger, and put the city in some semi-balance of order. We stop to rest in an area with no people due to the panic. To our horror, the process begins to start all over again.

Lois and Jimmy catch up to us. "What the hell is going on!?" Lois screams.

Laughter fills the air. We turn, and a strange being materializes. He is a four foot tall man in a jester-like outfit, floating in midair.

"Ooh, I never get tired of seeing a bunch of 3-Dimensional saps do their best to cope, only to fail." He turns to us. "Yowza! I guess a few 3D's ain't that bad!"

He disappears. "Hey!!!" Lois, Supergirl, and Lady Marvel yell. They all have their hands over their posteriors, and the man reappears, snickering. Jimmy, Captain Marvel, and myself glare at him. Obviously, the man had somehow managed to grope them without any of us noticing.

"How dare you dishonor my sister!" The Captain lunges at him, but a force field materializes, and he bounces off. _The Captain is as strong as I am. Not good._

"Calm down, everyone! All right, who are you? What do you want?" I ask.

The imp laughs again. "Why, I'm Mxyzptlk! I came from the Fifth Dimension to have a little fun!"

"Fifth Dimension!?" We all exclaim.

"Try to keep up, nimrods! In the Fifth Dimension, everyone is immortal, and we can do anything our imaginations can conceive."

"Like that Q guy from Star Trek?" Jimmy asks.

Mxyzptlk snaps his fingers, and Jimmy turns to stone! "Don't interrupt me! Sheesh!"

"Jimmy!" Supergirl speeds up to the imp and grabs him by the throat. "Change him back, right now, or I'll…" The imp disappears, then reappears again.

"Take this!" A piece of kryptonite materializes at Supergirl's feet! She screams and collapses, but Lady Marvel quickly dashes up and chucks it into space. The kryptonite reappears! I'm farther away, and unaffected, so I destroy it with heat vision, but it reappears again!

Mxyzptlk looks really mad. "That will keep happening, until you promise to behave yourselves."

Scared, we all agree. The kryptonite vanishes. Supergirl gasps and we help her up.

The imp smiles again. "Where was I? Oh yeah, being immortal and omnipotent gets boring after a while, so I take regularly take trips to your puny Third Dimension and play games with losers like you. Any questions?"

Lois speaks up. "You mentioned trips."

"Yeah, those stories of leprechauns, spirits, and genies? Most of those were me."

"You play games with us? A game has rules." Captain Marvel points out.

"You want rules? I'll give you rules. If you guys can get me to say, write, or otherwise reveal my name backwards before the sun goes down, I'll leave." He gets a devilish gleam in his eyes. "But if you can't, I'm taking the three lovely ladies as my pets! Actually, since there's no way you can, I'll just get ready."

The next thing we know, the girls' clothes have been replaced by bikinis, and they have metal collars around their throats! They gasp in shock and try to remove the collars, but can't. We try to help them, but are repelled by a force field.

Lady Marvel glares at him. "You're cruel and arrogant. Even if we lose, we will never obey you!"

The imp smirks. "You're a feisty one."

Captain Marvel turns to me. "Damn it! Superman, we have to think of something, quick!"

He's right, I see the sun already starting to go down. I get an idea.

"That's not fair. We can't even say your name forwards. How are we supposed to say it backwards?"

Mxyzptlk yells. "Idiots! You're not supposed to say it backwards! You're supposed to get me to say it!"

"Say what?"

"Kltpzyxm! Gosh, are you retarded? Now, I'm going to…oh crap!"

"Looks like you lose. Way to go, Superman!" The Captain high fives me as the girls cheer.

"Never!" The imp roars. Captain Marvel and myself get blasted off our feet, and are left writhing in pain. "Screw the game! I'm taking them anyway!" Leashes sprout from the collars and come to his hand. He begins to drag them away, and it's obvious Supergirl and Lady Marvel no longer have their powers.

"Get back here, you son of a bitch!" We try to follow, but collapse.

"**MXYZPTLK!!!**" A loud but female voice screams. An impossibly beautiful woman materializes.

The imp gasps and begins to stammer. "Hey, Gsptlsnz. What are you doing here?"

She says sternly. "Don't try to fool me. You skipped out on our anniversary party and look at what I find you doing. You use your powers to torment a sentient species, you break a promise to leave as soon as they win your game, and you top it off, YOU TRY TO CHEAT ON ME WITH THEM!?" She points at the girls, who cower. We cower too, she is really scaring the crap out of us.

"Baby, I can explain!" The woman grabs his ear and he starts screaming. She then makes him disappear.

She turns to us and smiles sweetly. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that." She waves her hand, and instantly, everything is restored to normal, though the area is still devoid of people.

Jimmy groans and shakes the stiffness out.

"Jimmy!" Supergirl screams, ecstatic. She rushes him and they start making out. We politely look away.

"God, it was horrible. I couldn't move, but I could see and hear everything."

"It's all right, I'm here." They start kissing again.

Gsptlsnz speaks up. "I've given you five minutes before the citizens return. It's the least I do."

"Thanks." I say while kissing Lois in relief. The Marvels are hugging in relief.

"I will spend a while, disciplining my wayward husband." She vanishes.

"Damn, that was an interesting way to spend the afternoon." I joke.

Lois brightens. "This is going to be one hell of a story. Uh, I'll have to cut out a bunch of details."

"No kidding, what a pervert!" Lady Marvel exclaims.

Suddenly, the Marvels groan. "We feel _another _disturbance in the balance of magic. Feel like helping?"

I shake his hand. "It would be an honor, Captain Marvel."

We agree to let Lois and Jimmy come, so we pick them up, and soar into the sky.

_To Be Continued…_

**Author's Note: **Captain Marvel would be played by Matt Damon or Sam Witwer. Lady Marvel would be played by Zooey Deschanel. Mxyzptlk would be played by Dylan Postl, aka the midget wrestler Hornswoggle. Gsptlsnz would be played by Bar Rafaeli.

I give thanks to author Lord Moldybutt for inspiring me to include Mxyzptlk in my story.

Mxyzptlk's portrayal is based on his appearance in the live action Superboy series, where he threatened to take Lana away if Superboy failed to get rid of him in time.

Mary Marvel was called Lady Marvel in her early appearances, and I think that name is cooler.

Captain Marvel Junior will not exist in this story. He may have inspired Elvis, but I'm not really fond of him.

Star Trek: The Next Generation aired in 1987, so Jimmy's comment about Q is not out of place.


	16. Pride

**Pride**

**Author's Note: **I didn't include the Super's first meeting with the Marvels because I wasn't sure how to do it. Many irrelevant events will occur "off screen".

The Marvels lead us to Gotham City, territory of The Batman. The six of us frown at the intense pollution and overall gritty state of the city.

"So cool. We went from Delaware to New Jersey in under 5 minutes." Jimmy marveled. He looked overly excited.

"We could have arrived nearly instantaneously, but you probably wouldn't have survived the trip." Supergirl remarks.

Lois speaks up. "What exactly is this disturbance?"

"Not sure, we just know there is something or someone that doesn't belong here." The Captain explains.

We spy a tenement on fire! A team of firefighters are already on the job, but they need help. No matter how much water they spray, the flames only increase in size. The bystanders and people trapped inside are panicked and rioting.

We put Lois and Jimmy down, then enter the fray. At super speed, we inspect the building and extract all the people. I can feel the heat, so most likely, this fire was conjured by magic. We carefully deposit them behind the caution tape.

"This fire took some of my hair!" Supergirl complained. The tips of her hair were singed.

Lady Marvel calls us over. "I realized why the hoses don't seem to have any effect. This is not ordinary fire, this is Greek fire!"

_Greek fire!? The ancient substance that burns hotter when exposed to water!?_

I ask. "Does a magical fire still follow the basic rules?"

"Most of the time."

"Good. I have an idea. Follow me."

We speed over to the quarry. "Greek fire can't be put out by water, but it can be snuffed out! Get as much sand as you can!"

We pour sand into four dump trucks, then each carry one back to the building.

"Together now!" We pour the sand on the tenement, extinguishing the flames! Then, we carefully gather the sand, and return it the quarry.

"Is everyone all right?" We ask when we return.

To our shock, the people begin to boo and throw stuff at us.

"We didn't ask for your help, you freaks!" Said one.

"We are Gotham, and we don't need anybody!" Said another.

Realizing this is a confrontation we cannot win, we retreat and return to Lois and Jimmy, who had been watching and taking pictures from afar.

"What the hell is wrong with them!?" Lois complained.

"I sensed something. Something influencing their minds." Answered Lady Marvel.

"Why didn't Batman show up?" Jimmy whined.

"It's still afternoon. He usually comes out at night. By the way, how come you two aren't burnt or dirty at all?" I ask.

Captain Marvel shrugs. "Lady Marvel and myself are magically invulnerable. We can only be affected by really extreme conditions."

Lady Marvel speaks up. "The source of the disturbance, is in Gotham Museum! Let's go!" She speeds off.

Captain Marvel whispers to us. "I'm slightly stronger, but her senses and intuition are better. Always trust her." We follow her.

When we arrive, we see that the front entrance has been smashed open, as if a train had collided.

We set Lois and Jimmy down. "This could get ugly. Stay here." I declare.

The four of us enter, but I see the two follow us out of the corner of my eye. I sigh, there is no stopping them.

Inexplicably, the two begin arguing. "Christ, Lois! I don't even know why we are partners. I can get the story a lot faster on my own!"

"Oh yeah!? You couldn't write an essay in a million years!"

"What's the matter with you two!?" Supergirl complained.

I groan. "This is starting to look familiar. When I faced Ares, he was able to make the general population, and myself, very angry and aggressive. Could he be back?"

Captain Marvel shakes his head. "He isn't. We recently visited Olympus. He's still in his cell."

"Could be another rogue mythological figure. As soon as I defeated Ares, everything went back to normal. Let's go." Lois and Jimmy are too busy arguing to notice us, so we give them the slip.

Captain Marvel suddenly clasps a hand on my shoulder and turns me around. "I just realized something. Why are _you _leading us? I'm stronger, not to mention more knowledgeable about magic."

I shove his hand away. "Stronger than me!? In your dreams! Besides, I have experience. Who kicked Ares' ass? Me."

Lady Marvel and Supergirl step in and slap us. "Idiots! You're letting yourselves be influenced by the enchantment already!"

"We're sorry." We say, sheepishly.

We hear muttering, and a crash of objects. We follow the sound into the Ancient Artifacts section.

Ruffling through the ancient treasures is a tall, burly man with wild hair on his scalp and face. He wears sandals, a breechcloth, a sword, a club, a bow, a quiver full of arrows, and most notably: a lion skin as a cape. He turns to us with a haughty, superior smirk.

"What do you know, it's the new generation of heroes. I'm not impressed." He remarks, as if he couldn't care less.

"Heroes don't normally turn to robbery, Heracles." I retort.

"If you recognize me, you should know better than to stand in my way!"

"I've faced your brother Ares and won, so we'll take our chances."

"Oh please! He was a wimp compared to me! And you are fools! Imagine, the ridiculous idea of teaming up with women in battle. As if they were actually worth anything other than warming our beds."

"You pig!!!" The girls roar at once. They rush him, but he casually backhands them away. We catch them, but the momentum knocks us through three walls! _His strength is beyond strength! How can we possibly beat him?_

We fly back into the room, where Heracles has resumed searching through the artifacts. He gives a bored expression.

"Again? Why bother? I am the strongest man in the world! Only my father, Zeus, is greater!"

"Strength and abilities don't make you great. Mind telling us what you're doing on Earth?" Captain Marvel asks.

"I'll be glad to." He answers. With his face pointed high and his hands on his hips, he begins to monologue.

"Many years ago, when I was obligated to perform my Twelve Labors, the ninth was to steal the Girdle of Hippolyta. So, I sailed to that stupid island of Amazons and defeated them with ease. I had my way with them. Every. Single. One."

We all gasp with horror and disgust. "Naturally, the bane of my existence, Hera, and my goody-two-shoes sisters: Aphrodite and Athena didn't like that. They banished me from Themyscira. Even now, even though I am a God, I cannot teleport to there. But when I find the legendary Eyes of Argus, I will gain the power to travel there so I can continue to show those foolish women their place! By the way, the fire and crowd of over patriotic citizens was just a distraction. Law enforcement officials are not even worthy of soiling my hands on."

I can't take it anymore. "You are one sick bastard. There is no way we are letting you find that thing."

"You dare challenge me!?" He raises his club, but my sister and I blast it with heat vision, setting it on fire and forcing him to drop it. The distraction is all the Marvels need to reach him and hold him over their heads.

"SHAZAM!!!" They yell simultaneously. To our amazement, twin bolts of lightning break through the ceiling and strike Heracles in the back! Heracles laughs and elbows them in the faces, knocking them out.

"Thought my stories were popular. The Nemean Lion's skin is indestructible! Not even Zeus' lightning can get through it."

Supergirl lunges at him, but he gives her a double fist strike, knocking her through the floor and generating a small tremor.

"Supergirl!" I lunge at him, but he grabs me in a bear hug.

"Ahhh!" I scream, in agony. _It feels like my ribs are in a vice!_

"Superman, don't give up!" Lois and Jimmy have arrived. "You're better than this muscle-bound jerk!"

_Muscle? I see. I've let my pride get the better of me. I can't beat this guy with strength alone, he's too strong. I have to use my head and other talents, just like with Ares._

At super speed, I head butt him, relentlessly. He grunts and releases me. Thankfully, my ribs begin to heal.

"You made my forehead bleed! How dare you!" He charges, but I kick him in the shin and stun him. He growls, and goes for a punch with his right hand, but I catch his wrist, squeeze it, and relentlessly punch him in the face with _my _right hand at super speed. I desist, then pull the lion skin off him. He draws his sword and swings, but I tangle his arm in the skin and use one of the lion's arms to strangle him.

"You may be the strongest man in the world, but you are too arrogant and too slow." I turn to Lois and Jimmy. "Guys, wake them up and tell them to find the Eyes of Argus and destroy it. I'll keep this maniac busy!"

As they go, Heracles knocks me away. Gasping and weakened, he charges at me like a bull, but I fly over him and he goes head first into a column, breaking it. As I land, he kneels behind me and tries to give me a low blow. I catch it and roll us over into a crucifix armbar. He screams in pain and thrashes. I use all my strength and concentration to keep us on the floor.

I hear the sound of stone melting, and know my friends have succeeded. Supergirl, The Marvels, Lois, and Jimmy enter.

"Let's finish this!" The Marvels float directly over Heracles' chest. "SHAZAM!!!" They get out of the way just as the twin lightning returns, striking him in the chest!

"Argh!!!" He screams. I release the hold, now that he's unconscious.

"Where did you get those moves?" Jimmy asks.

"Watched a lot of Bruce Lee movies when I was a kid." I finger the Nemean Lion skin and begin to sob. "Your stories were part of the reason why I became a hero! How could you be so cruel!? So arrogant!? How!?" I lean on the others for support.

Athena appears. "Sadly, he's been that way ever since I've known him."

"Who the heck are you!?" Lois snaps.

"This is Athena, I told you about her, remember?" I reply.

"Umm, hi." Jimmy says, dreamily.

"I'm standing right here, put your eyeballs back in your head!" Supergirl screams. We all sigh at their antics.

Athena waves her hand, and Heracles vanishes. "I'll deal with you later. Thank you so much for taking him down. I'm afraid I must call on your help one more time." She waves her hand, and Lois and Jimmy vanish!

"What have you done!?" We exclaim.

"Relax, I have merely sent them home. I need you to trust me."

We nod to each other. "We trust you."

"Good." She waves her arm, and all five of us vanish.

_To Be Continued…_

**Author's Note: **Heracles would be played by Chris Masters aka The Masterpiece. The battle between Superman and Heracles is based on the battle between Superman and Ten from the Justice League episode _Wild Cards_. I added Heracles' ability to make people prideful to make the story more interesting and to give him a parallel to his brother, Ares.

**Bios: **Heracles is the hero from Greek Myth himself. Although he does fight the forces of evil (he helped in one of the battles against Doomsday), he is extremely arrogant and a misogynist. He believes his strength and past achievements entitle him to do whatever he feels like. He did rape the Amazons, and is a frequent Wonder Woman villain. In one story, Circe steals both his and Wonder Woman's powers. He and Wonder Woman team up to stop her, but as soon as they get their powers back, he turns on her. One of the only women he has ever respected is Wonder Girl-Cassandra Sandsmark, his half-sister by Zeus. Heracles has the standard abilities of a God (immortality, eternal youth, occasional magic) and insane, nearly limitless levels of strength. However, in the story, "Thy Kingdom Come", in which the Superman from "Kingdom Come" is transported to the mainstream DC Universe, Heracles finally met his superior. In one part, Heracles goes on a rampage in Gotham City. Superman and Kingdom Come Superman arrive. Heracles elbows Superman in the face (bloodying his nose), then knocks him through a building. He punches Kingdom Come Superman in the face, with no effect. Kingdom Come Superman steals the Nemean Lion skin, then backfists him into the sky.


	17. Equality

**Equality**

We materialize on a sandy beach. Since it is now night, it is clear we are no longer in America.

"Where are we?" We ask.

"We are on Themyscira, home of the Amazons. Before you ask, this island is protected by a magic veil. It is invisible from the outside, and vessels are subliminally urged to avoid it. We are here because there is a favor I need from them, and I feel I will require your help to convince them. Stick close and follow me, I am sure you know the Amazons do not take kindly to men, and they dislike women who do not follow their ideals. In addition, nearly all their weapons are magical." Athena answers.

I roll the Nemean Lion skin up and carry it as we follow her on foot. Even at night, this island is clearly very beautiful.

"Intruders! Men!" We are surrounded by a squad of women in armor and weapons. Though they speak Greek, all four of us understand. The Marvels magically know any language, while Supergirl and I studied nearly every language in the world in our travels and training.

"Stand down! Do you not recognize me?" Athena yells.

The warriors gasp and bow their heads. "Forgive us, Grey-Eyed One. What do you need? Why do you bring these _men _to this sacred land." They point an accusing finger at Captain Marvel and myself.

"These four people happen to be good friends of mine. I require a favor, but first allow us to join Queen Hippolyta's dinner feast."

"Of course." We are lead to a massive, heavily walled city. Beyond the wall is a seemingly primitive, yet glorious, society of women.

While there is no machinery or plastic, the fields and structures are well maintained. My microscopic vision detects no signs of disease. I scan the buildings, at least there is running water.

There are women of all races and none of them look older than 45. As we pass, they look up from their tasks and stare at us. The majority have looks of anger and mistrust (Athena and our escorts are forced to explain that we are guests many times), but a few, especially the children, look at us with wonder. _This must be the first time in their lives that they have seen men, or even outsiders._

We enter an enormous palace, and finally, Queen Hippolyta's throne room.

The Queen is clearly the oldest of the Amazons. She looks like she is in her late fifties, yet she is incredibly beautiful, with minimal wrinkles and luxurious black hair. She scowls at us boys, but brightens up when she sees Athena.

"Oh Great Athena, you honor us with your presence."

"Hippolyta, you were one of my favorite students. I have a favor to ask, but first allow me and my comrades to join you for dinner."

"Of course, but who are these outsiders? Why have you brought them here?"

Athena points to us. "These are great heroes: Superman, Supergirl, Lady Marvel, and Captain Marvel. You are in their debt. Observe." She conjures up a viewing portal.

We all watch intently as it replays our recent adventures. The portal changes all the dialogue to Greek, most likely to accommodate our hosts. First, it shows my ordeal against Mr. Freeze and Ares. The Amazons present all recoil, when it shows Heracles. Queen Hippolyta looks like she is about to vomit. The Amazons actually begin to cheer when I finally turned the tables on him, and burst into applause when the magic lightning finished him off.

I decide the unroll the Nemean Lion skin. I say in perfect Greek. "As a symbol of victory over this vile enemy of all women, we offer the Amazons his greatest trophy: the Nemean Lion skin." I hold it out, and one of the Queen's attendants takes it.

Queen Hippolyta looks conflicted. "You may all join us for dinner. Tell your friends that it is rude to bring weapons or clothes that have been worn to battle to a meal."

Athena makes her helmet, spear, and shield vanish. "You heard her. By the way, from this point on, I'll make it so that we can all understand each other's language."

Supergirl and I use our super speed to change into civilian clothes (we store them in minute pocket dimensions, courtesy of the Fortress' technology). I wear sneakers, jeans, and a T-shirt, but decide to skip the darn glasses. She wears sneakers, a skirt, and a T-shirt. Our hosts all gasp at what just happened.

The Marvels stand back. "SHAZAM!!!" Our hosts draw back in horror as twin lightning bolts come down, striking the two. When the light fades, the Marvels are now Billy and Mary Batson. Billy wears sneakers, jeans, and a collared shirt. Mary wears sandals and a sundress. Other than their clothing change and lack of superpowers, they are still the same people.

Our hosts begin to mutter, but Mary calms them. "These were merely transformations. May we eat now?" We all head over to a massive table, with lots and lots of food.

Mae whispers. "We should be on guard. Billy and Mary are powerless in their mortal forms, and if something goes wrong, they could get killed."

"I agree."

The Queen calls her daughter, Diana, to join the feast. Billy and I can't help but go "Whoa." She is _extremely _beautiful, with: olive skin, flawless body, face, and hair.

Hippolyta shoots us a death glare. "You desire my daughter?"

Billy stammers. "No. I'm dating a girl named Courtney Whitmore back home, and I could never betray her."

I add. "I'm dating a girl named Lois Lane, and I could never betray her, either. Diana, your beauty merely caught us off guard, that's all."

Diana smirks, flattered. Hippolyta grumbles and finds her seat. Billy and I are a little shaken up by how scary she is, while Mae, Mary, and even Athena chuckle at us.

We sit, and after Hippolyta says a small prayer to the Gods, we dig in. Athena affectionately feeds her owl, Nike, some of her meat.

As we are finishing up, Diana speaks up. "I'm curious. How are you capable of defeating Gods? How did you come to be heroes?"

Mary and Billy turn to us. "You want us to go first?"

"Go ahead."

"I am Mary Batson, and this is my twin brother, Billy Batson. We were once ordinary people, but last year, we encountered a gang beating up an elderly man. We rescued him, in gratitude, he gave us a wonderful gift. He was a powerful sorcerer who longed to help others, but he learned his secrets too late, and he was not long for this world. He passed away, but now, by saying his name, we can call upon Zeus' lightning in order for us to transform into Captain and Lady Marvel. Ever since, we have used our gift to help others and battle the forces of evil as best as we can."

Mae steps up. "I am Mae Kent, and this is my twin brother, Clark Kent. Our original names were Kara-El and Kal-El. We came from a distant planet called Krypton. The planet was destroyed by its sun exploding, but our father saved us by sending us to Earth, where we were found and raised. When we were fourteen, our abilities manifested. We found a recording made by our father, which explained our origins and the source of our power, yellow sunlight. We trained and decided to make costumed personas: Superman and Supergirl. We also fight the forces of evil and help others as best as we can."

"That is amazing." Diana says. The others have no choice but to agree.

We finish eating and the Queen's attendants begin to clear the table.

Athena gets up. "Queen Hippolyta? Princess Diana? Members of The Senate? May we speak in private?"

"Of course, Grey-Eyed One." Athena, Hippolyta, Diana, and about 30 other Amazons vanish.

That leaves us with about 20 more. Having witnessed our battles and heard our stories, they actually seem intimidated by us.

We decide to make small talk with them. For obvious reasons, they are more willing to talk to Mae and Mary.

Suddenly, Mary gasps and moans.

"What's the matter?" We ask.

Mary stares directly at me with her beautiful, blue doe eyes. "SHAZAM!!!"

The magic lightning descends, transforming her back into Lady Marvel. She rushes me, and the next thing I know, her arms are around my neck, and her lips are on mine, kissing me deeply…

_To Be Continued…_

**Author's Note: **Queen Hippolyta would be played by Sigourney Weaver (she's 6' tall and incredibly hot for her age). Princess Diana would be played by Megan Fox. The other Amazons would be played by various women of all races, preferably ones who are very strong and beautiful. Forget Matt Damon, Sam Witwer is my choice to play Billy Batson/Captain Marvel.

Athena has gray irises, look it up.

The Marvel's mortal forms are children in the comics, but I decided. "Screw that idea."

Courtney Whitmore is the secret identity of Stargirl. She and Captain Marvel did date in the comics, but broke up due to the awkwardness of their real ages. I'm not sure if I'll include Stargirl in this story.

I was inspired to make the surprise ending to this chapter because a Superman/Mary Marvel pairing has been in my head for a while. I was appalled to discover that this pairing doesn't exist anywhere on fanfiction. I even asked a comic book expert if there were any Elseworlds comics at all that have this pairing, but he said "No".

Just so you know, I respect and enjoy good Superman/Wonder Woman stories, but I just don't see it happening. I just don't.


	18. Deirdre

**Deirdre**

**Author's Note: **In the previous chapter, I forgot to mention that the Amazons all wear the indestructible magic bracelets. I'm not sure if I will include Donna Troy/Wonder Girl I (Diana/Wonder Woman's sister) in this story. If someone can suggest a good candidate to play her, I just might. Black Adam will not be in this story. Let's just say the good guys tricked him into saying "SHAZAM" and turned him into a pile of lifeless dust, like how he was defeated the first time.

As everyone looks on in shock and amazement, Lady Marvel continues to kiss me. I begin to lose myself. _So nice. So sweet. So beautiful. Wait, we can't do this!_

Using all my strength, I gently but firmly push her off me by the shoulders and hold her at arms length.

"Mary, don't do this, please. You know I'm already courting Lois."

She smiles at me, panting and moaning. "I have to. I love you."

I listen to her biometrics and back away in horror. "Jesus Christ, you're telling the truth!" _This is not going to end well._

She sighs, dreamily. "Of course I am. I've been so lonely my whole life. We're just like you, Clark, we're orphans. We were raised by our uncle, Dudley. We grew up in a bad neighborhood, full of bullying and perverted boys. Before we met the wizard, Billy often had to defend me from them. I never met anyone who I felt I could share my heart with. Until I met you."

Billy breaks in. "Mary, why didn't you ever tell me? You introduced me to Courtney. I would have gladly returned the favor. I had many friends and coworkers who are lonely, too, like our pal, Freddy Freeman."

"Shut up, Billy! Don't interrupt me! Clark, ever since we started teaming up, I watched you. You're so brave, intelligent, compassionate, loyal, handsome. Oh Clark, please take me, I love you so much!"

She lunges at me again, but this time, I dodge.

With great pain, I say. "Mary, I love you as Billy loves you. Ever since we met, you have been like my second sister; and Billy has been like my brother. I am so sorry if I ever led you on in any way. I never want to see you in any pain, ever. But I love Lois Lane with all my heart and I hope to marry her, one day. Please, can you understand that?" I bow my head, with regret. _I remember the day Lana rejected me for Pete. The pain nearly destroyed me. She is not going to take this well._

"No, I don't understand! Am I not lovelier than her? I'm as powerful as you, I can be a much better wife than she ever would!"

_Something's wrong here. Even if she is in love, that_ _is _not _the Mary I know. Not by a long shot._

Mae comes over to us and puts an arm on her shoulder. "Mary? Calm down, girlfriend."

"Get away from me!" Lady Marvel shoves her, sending her flying, but she manages to stop herself in midair.

"Crap. SHAZAM!!!" Billy transforms back into Captain Marvel.

"Captain, stand down, I don't think force is going to solve this. Mary, I admit it, you _are _lovelier than Lois. Hell, you looked better in a bikini than her. Physically, you are superior to her in every way. But I don't judge people by their looks and physical attributes. If I did, I would have tried to court Athena, as blasphemous as that sounds, because _she _is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. No, I love Lois because of her personality, her hopes, her dreams. She is my soul mate."

Lady Marvel makes a face. "I think I am going to be sick!"

I glare. "And I think that's not Mary talking! Whoever is controlling her, cut it out, right now!"

"Oh fine, spoilsport!" Mary collapses, but I catch her. A blond woman in a revealing toga materializes.

The Amazons gasp and bow their heads. "Oh Aphrodite, you honor us with your presence." _Aphrodite? Figures._

Lady Marvel leaps from my arms and grabs her by the throat. With tears in her eyes, she screams. "You made a fool out me! Why!?"

Athena and the rest of the Amazons return. "Mary, let her go! Let me explain!"

She reluctantly does. Aphrodite growls and takes a place at Athena's side, rubbing her throat.

Athena speaks up. "The favor I wanted was for the Amazons to open up relations to the outside world. To send a representative to join in the battle against the forces of evil. Of course, Hippolyta and the others would gladly defy even me to never associate with the world of man."

Hippolyta speaks up. "We declared we would never agree to such a demand unless she could prove that a man could overcome his base desires. To truly respect women, and never take advantage of them or indulge."

Athena continues. "So, I contacted my sister and told her what I needed. She was rather eager to cooperate."

"Of course I was! I mean look at you! You're a perfect specimen of a man. You're a fool though. We could have spent years together, me acting through Mary. You have thrown away your chance. Hmmph!" Turning her nose up at us, Aphrodite disappears.

Hippolyta. "Anyway, you have passed the test. We shall send a representative to the world of man once we determine a suitable candidate. You have our word."

Mary continues crying. Billy hugs her and says. "May we go home now? She's been through so much pain and humiliation."

"Very well." The next thing I know, I am back in my Superman costume and in Metropolis. _Damn. This has been the craziest day in my life._

I begin to patrol the city, when I hear Athena's voice. "Superman, I am truly sorry you all had to experience that, but I feel I must inform you. We Gods cannot create out of nothing. Aphrodite may have been controlling Mary, but most of it originated from her own heart. Best of luck." _Holy crap._

I find Lois, alone in her office. "Superman, you're back!" She leaps into my arms and we kiss. "Where have you been?"

"Athena sent us to Themyscira, the island of the Amazons."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, she needed our help to convince them to send one their member out into the world. In a while, we will have another superhero on our hands."

"That's awesome! Was it difficult to convince them?"

I flashback to Mary's very real kiss, her confession, then the tears in her beautiful, blue doe eyes. Under my breath, I mutter. "The price was too high."

_To Be Continued…_

**Author's Note: **Aphrodite would be played by Charlize Theron. Deirdre means "sorrowful woman", representing Mary. I was planning to make this chapter and "Equality" one big chapter, but I stopped because I wasn't sure how to word these scenes. In DC Comics, Aphrodite is as good as her sister, and was the one who asked the Amazons to send a representative. In Greek Mythology, Aphrodite is semi-evil, at the very least, she does things and does not care who gets harmed in the process. I based my Aphrodite on this version.

Any readers are welcome to give ideas on how Wonder Woman's eventual debut will go. Yes, this is a Superman/Lois/Lady Marvel triangle, feel free to give ideas on that, too. I can't guarantee I will use them.

**Fun Trivia: **As far as I know, there has not been any Captain Marvel/Supergirl pairings in the comics. However, in one story, Powergirl hallucinates that Captain Marvel and Supergirl are her parents. Of course, she eventually wakes up.


	19. Prodigal

**Prodigal**

**Author's Note: **Bear with me when I don't use specific dates or times.

I spent a few weeks trying to think of what to do. I loved Lois, I sure as hell knew that, but I felt so guilty that I had to reject Mary.

My dreams were haunted by her tears, her sobs. I began to absentmindedly draw her eyes, her hair, her lips, her perfect figure. _What the hell is wrong with me? Am I in love with her?_

Unable to take it, this morning, I decide to visit Fawcett City, Wisconsin. I remain high and move at super speed to avoid detection. The city seems calm, safe. Billy mentioned his day job as a radio jock, so logically, he would be working at this time.

I decide to check up on him. Remaining unseen, I spy on the radio building. To my shock, I see Mary making out with an employee, a dark haired man with a cast on his left leg. I telescope my vision and see his nametag, Freddy Freeman. I start to seethe, but I calm myself. _Keep it together, don't feel jealous. I love Lois. At least you're happy, Mary._

I fly back to Metropolis, return to being Clark Kent, then report to work. Perry White enters with a redhead about his age. She is still quite lovely, and many of the male employees stare.

"Hello everyone, I'm Annette." She says.

"Hi." Says Jimmy and many others.

"She is my wife, you crazy kids. Get back to work!" Perry barks. "Troupe, I leave you in charge. We're going out on the town."

"On it, Chief!" Says Ron Troupe, one of the longest serving employees.

"See you tomorrow. And don't call me 'Chief'!" The couple leaves.

We all begin working. Since the Daily Planet is a bit crowded, I have no choice but to work at normal speed. After several hours, I attempt to make small talk with Lois, but she says she's too busy. _Darn, if only I could tell her my secret._

Around one o'clock, I hear a strange boom. Suddenly, there are tremors. I withdraw and change into Superman. I fly around town, catching things, when the tremors stop. I spy Annette among a crowd exiting a restaurant, calling frantically for her husband.

I X-Ray the building, and spot a man pinned under debris. I enter and see my boss.

"Perry! Don't worry, I'll get you out!"

As I approach, a large figure blindsides me at incredible speed and with unbelievable force. The next thing I know, my body bursts through the wall and plows a trench through the street! I clear the cobwebs and get up.

Before me is someone out of a nightmare. A hulking man-beast towers over me, covered with fur, ape-like feet, and a head like a lion. He wears a green tunic and shorts, and carries a large mace.

The people scatter in fear, as the creature swings the weapon at me. I catch it and grunt. His strength is incredible, but I manage to shove him back.

"Ha! I knew you would be a worthy challenge!" He roars. He points the weapon at me and presses a button. A blast of red energy shoots from it. I dodge, but the blast knocks a parked car over and blows it up!

He begins to rapid fire, but I charge up to him and throw a punch. The creature quickly blocks with the mace.

"Argh!" I scream, clutching my hand in agony.

The creature laughs. "Fool! The Beta Club is indestructible!" He blasts me, nearly knocking me senseless, then proceeds to pummel me. Bullets fly through the air and strike him, but with no effect.

The police, led by Dan Turpin, have arrived. "All right, you freak, stand down and surrender!" _Is he an idiot?_

"Impudent mortals! Kalibak surrenders to no one!" He aims the Beta Club at them.

"No!" I yell. I blast the weapon with heat vision.

"Argh!" Screams Kalibak as he is forced to drop it. He turns around and charges at me, but I duck under him and shove, sending him straight up into the sky.

Kalibak screams, he cannot fly. I turn around, the officers are trying to pick up the Beta Club, but they can't even budge it.

"Allow me." I pick it up. It feels like it is as heavy as a truck. Kalibak finally begins to descend. I strike him with it, knocking him up again. _Crap, I forgot about Perry!_

Unused to the club's weight, I set it down and rush into the restaurant.

I lift the wreckage from Perry and after scanning him for injuries, fly him to an ambulance, and Annette. I decide to scan her for injuries. Amazingly, I find a zygote in her womb. _All right, Chief, way to go!_

As they happily reunite, we hear a thud. Kalibak has landed. Unfortunately, he has retrieved his weapon. He lunges at super speed and tackles me, sending us both through the street and into the subway.

We begin the battle anew. Kalibak fights with mostly brute force and instinct, giving me an advantage, but my blows barely have any effect. Out of desperation, I fire my heat vision at him, full blast, causing an explosion of flames and leaving him screaming.

I fall to my knees, spent. To my horror, the behemoth arises and there isn't a scratch on him! He clobbers me in the head, knocking me on my back and leaving me barely conscious.

We hear a train coming. Kalibak ponders this, then throws me onto the tracks. I try to get out, but Kalibak jumps my back. He begins to strangle me with the Beta Club, while holding his knee to the back of my neck. The way we are arranged, I will be hit by the train, first. The conductor hits the brake, but it is not enough.

"Why are you doing this? If we don't move, we'll be hit and those people will die!" I choke out as I struggle.

"I don't care, I am immortal, so this crash will not harm me. You, on the other hand…with your death, I shall prove I am a true warrior to my father!"

_Father? Wait, I want to be a father, too. Perry must live to be a father. Jimmy, Billy, and everyone else must live, they will be fathers, one day. I must live. I must win. I will not die. I will not die. I WILL NOT DIE!!!_

As my determination and anger grow, I feel strength flow into me. With a grunt, I rocket us up, causing Kalibak's head to hit the ceiling. We burst through the street, and finally separate.

In anger, Kalibak swings at me, but I catch the Beta Club and knock him back. "No more!" I pummel him with it, then blast him. He falls, apparently unconscious.

I sigh and put the club down as the people begin to cheer. Suddenly, a loud boom emanates, and a white wormhole appears. As we stare in shock, a giant of a man, wearing a black uniform and having skin like living stone steps forth from it.

"Get up, you worthless trash!" He roars.

Kalibak immediately does. "Father!" He cowers.

"You were defeated. Failure is not tolerated." Twin beams of red energy issue from his eyes. Before I can react, the beams strike Kalibak, and he turns to ashes!

"How could you! He was your son!" I scream.

"No one criticizes me." He fires the beams. I sidestep, but they turn around and strike me in the back!

"Ahhh!" _Pain beyond pain! _I collapse, my shirt and cape gone and second degree burns on my back.

"Interesting. None have ever survived my Omega Beam before. Assimilating this planet shall be more difficult than I anticipated. Nonetheless, it is inevitable. When the time comes, this world will swear allegiance to Darkseid." He retrieves the Beta Club, steps through the portal and disappears.

The people help me up. "Superman, are you all right?"

"Yes, see? It has already healed." I fly away, then change into one of my spare outfits.

_We have a new enemy, a powerful one. I have decided. Life is too short to wait. The time is now._

The Daily Planet was in near pandemonium. People were running around, trying to find out what was going on. I continue working, biding my time and recovering from the "Omega Beam".

As night falls, Lois works the night shift.

I approach her. "Lois, could you meet me on the roof in 30 minutes."

"Um, okay Smallville."

When she arrives, she asks. "Clark, what do you want?"

I pick her up. "Hang on." We fly into the night sky. Soon, we are in my apartment, unnoticed.

"Oh my god, you're Superman." She says, dazed.

I remove my glasses. "I'm so sorry, I didn't tell you sooner, but I am not afraid anymore."

I take a lump of coal out and begin to squeeze. Using my full strength, I feel it heating, hardening. I shape and polish it, it is now a perfectly cut diamond. As Lois stares in wonder, I set it in a gold ring and weld it together.

I drop to one knee. "Lois Joanne Lane, will you marry me?"

_To Be Continued…_

**Author's Note: **Annette White would be played by Julianne Moore. Ron Troupe would be played by Orlando Jones. Kalibak would be played by Brock Lesnar (his body is somewhat shaped like Kalibak's, and he is the strongest guy I have ever witnessed). Darkseid would be played in body by Kevin Nash but voiced by James Earl Jones.

This chapter is inspired by the Superman: TAS ep _Father's Day _and the subway fight between Neo and Agent Smith.

**Spoiler: **The next chapter will be called "Darkness", and I promise it will be insane.


	20. Darkness

**Darkness**

**Author's Note: **Remember in the last chapter how I described Clark drawing Mary while daydreaming about her? Remember Superman's nearly flawless victory over Heracles? Superman has a photographic memory, and I consider this a valid skill of his. Many modern comics have Superman as a decent, mostly self-taught fighter. For example, in the story "Superman: Ending Battle", he defeats Mongol (who is much stronger than him) by exploiting the terrain, flawlessly using the Rope-a-Dope until Mongol stopped in exhaustion, then finally punching him out. Of course, Superman is nowhere near Batman's level of skill, but let's just say that, in this story, thanks to Jor-El's training, hours of martial arts movies, boxing, wrestling, and real fights, his photographic memory, and lots and lots of practice: Superman has the basics of many fighting styles, especially Jeet Kune Do (Bruce Lee's style), and constantly improves. The following storyline is inspired somewhat by the story "Superman/Batman: Enemies Among Us". I hope this lives up to the hype I made in my comment last chapter.

Lois stared at me in stunned silence. My hopes began to fall. _God, how could I have thought this would work?_

Finally, she smiles. "Yes! Yes!" She jumps into my arms and kisses me! She breaks the kiss, then lovingly slips the ring onto her finger.

We decide we have waited long enough. Slowly, careful not to use excessive force on my part, we make love for the first time…

The weeks that followed ran smoothly. Lois and I (as Clark) announced our engagement. Many of the Daily Planet employees were jealous. _Who could blame them?_

I even took her to meet Jor-El. My father approved of her, and she agreed not to tell anyone of the Fortress of Solitude. I introduced her to my foster parents, as well. They were so ecstatic.

We scheduled the wedding for February 20, 1989.

Around September 16, 1988, I was on routine patrol around Metropolis when a floating, metal orb with a red T on it meets me.

A hologram of an African American man with what looks like a black T spray painted on his face is projected.

"Greetings, Superman. I am Mr. Terrific. My colleagues and I invite you to attend an assembly of heroes. I admit I am unsure if we can offer you anything of interest, but we appeal to your Warrior's Honor, and your desire to protect innocent people. If you accept, simply follow this T-Sphere to us." The hologram shuts off.

I look around. Everything seems peaceful. _I suppose it couldn't hurt. And if this is a trap, I'll be ready._

"Lead the way, buddy." I follow it through the skies. It is quite fast, like a jet. I can't tell how it is being propelled.

I arrive somewhere in New York City. I meet up with Supergirl and the Marvels, all following T-Spheres of their own.

We greet each other and agree to face whatever this is as a team.

We are led to an inconspicuous looking office building. However, after a few floors in, it is clear that the office is just a cover. This is a military base.

The T-Spheres lead us into a massive auditorium, then disperse. Seated inside are more superheroes than we can count! They turn to us, staring and muttering, some in amazement, some in suspicion.

"Hey, hey! How are you ladies doing!" A man in a red bodysuit zips up to us, so fast even we can barely keep up. He comes up to Mary, and before she can react, takes her hand, and starts kissing it! "I'm Flash, Fastest Man Alive. Who are you, luscious?"

Before I know it, anger fills me. I come up and shove him away. "Hey, back off, you creep!"

Kara puts a hand on my shoulder. "Calm down."

Flash gets up. "Ooo, I think someone's jealous!"

"Shut up!" I roar. I hear Batman mutter to himself "Amateurs. Letting their emotions get the better of them."

"Enough!" We all look up to see a bizarre trio. In the center is Mr. Terrific. To his left is a large, green man. To his right is a woman we never thought we would see again.

"Diana!" The four of us exclaim. She is wearing star-spangled, feminine Greek armor, with a sword and a golden lasso. Her eyes light up in delight and she waves to us.

Flash does a double take. "You know her? Care to introduce me?"

"Not on your life, perv."

Mr. Terrific speaks up. "Everyone, take a seat, and we shall explain the purpose of this meeting."

As we sit, Lady Marvel mutters "Thank you" to me and smiles. _Lord have mercy. Get a grip, think of Lois. Think of Lois!_

"I am a superhero with the codename, Mr. Terrific. I want to be frank with you, I do not believe in a higher power. What I do believe in is: equality, liberty, and justice. With my wealth and knowledge, I trained my body to its fullest potential, and designed these high tech T-Spheres so I can fight the good fight against the forces of evil. Then I realized that working alone is not enough. One of my T-Spheres recorded this."

A T-Sphere projects a movie of my battle with Kalibak and my subsequent encounter with Darkseid.

"Superman, based on what we have just witnessed, this "Darkseid" is too powerful for you to face alone."

The crowd begins to murmur again. Irritated, I say. "I admit it. He kicked my ass."

"Good. What I propose is that we all join forces." He turns to the green man. "You have the floor."

"My name is J'onn J'onzz. I am the last survivor of Mars. I have fought many civil wars and by the time I realized that "Divided We Fall", it was too late for my people. Earth is now my home, and I refuse to let it share the same fate. In these coming times, we must stand united. Are you with us?"

Unanimously, we say. "We are with you!"

J'onn turns to Diana. "Your turn."

"I am Diana, Princess of Themyscira: The Island of the Amazons. We Amazons surely know the value of teamwork, and I will apply it here as well. My battle training and powers will provide valuable support for our team."

"I'm with you!" Flash blurts out.

"Shut up!" We all retort.

Mr. Terrific. "Our collective will be called the Justice League. Will you all accept a tri-branded leadership of checks and balances? I will provide martial arts training, wealth, and technology. J'onn will provide counsel, wisdom, and battlefield experience. Diana will provide weapons training, group tactics, and knowledge of the supernatural."

A man in a green costume stands. "I'm in. I accept your leadership. I'm Hal Jordan of the Green Lantern Corps, a peacekeeping organization that works throughout the cosmos. If we are to protect the Earth from Darkseid, I'd better share what I know."

"Do tell."

"Darkseid is the ruler of a distant planet called Apokolips. He and much of his followers are Gods, in the sense that they are immortal, have eternal youth, and have various magical abilities. You could say Darkseid is the God of Despair. He exists only to terrorize and torment others, until they lose all hope and free will, and serve him forever.

In addition to their ancient, magical might, Apokolips possesses incredible technology, including Boom Tubes: the white portal Darkseid used. The legions of Apokolips regularly spread out to conquer new worlds. Apokolips is opposed by the planet New Genesis, which is also populated by Gods and possesses equal technology.

Unfortunately, Darkseid and New Genesis' ruler, Highfather, have recently signed a peace treaty. They will not interfere with each other as long as their actions do not affect the other directly. This means we are on our own, New Genesis will not help us. The rest of the Green Lantern Corps will not help us either. My superiors have also signed a treaty with Apokolips not to wage open war. I am here because I have the right to defend my home world without violating the treaty. But I have hope. If we can all work together, we can stave off the eventual invasion. I believe we will."

We all applaud.

Flash talks in a serious tone for the first time. "I'll join you. I'm behind you all the way. You can count on my speed. In the meantime, can I get your number, Diana?"

"Oh grow up, Wally!" Hal exclaims. "We grew up together." He adds snidely.

Batman. "I'm not much of a people person, but when you need me, and you _will_, call me."

One by one, we all joined. We were all given small communicators that can contact each other, no matter where we are in the world.

Now that the meeting was over, we were directed to a complementary cafeteria. Flash immediately starts pigging out, the food starts to disappear before our eyes!

"Oh well, I wasn't hungry anyway." I quip.

The four of us meet with Diana. "So, you are the representative the Amazons chose." Billy remarks.

"Correct. I passed all the trials, faster than my sisters did. As an added boon, Athena endowed me with practical knowledge of this land and era, and provided me with a civilian identity."

We talk with a few other people, then go our separate ways. Mr. Terrific advises us to let the knowledge of the Justice League be given out gradually, lest the world governments grow paranoid.

Three days later, I receive a call on my communicator. An armored truck headed for the Central City Museum is being robbed! Central City, Missouri, is Flash's hometown, so he is already on it, but the robbers are Metallo and Silver Banshee! "On my way!"

I speed over to the museum. I spot Flash flailing through the air and catch him.

"Thanks. That freaky robot guy threw me. Watch out for that hot, silver lady. She screams _really _loud."

"We are dealing with Metallo and Silver Banshee. Pay attention, Metallo has a green rock in his chest, it's like his battery. Take it out. Got it?"

"Got it. Oh Supes? Sorry I made the moves on your girlfriend the other day."

"Lady Marvel isn't my…" He speeds off.

I speed over to the overturned armored truck. Flash tackles Metallo into an alley, then follows him in. The guards are desperately firing rounds at Banshee, but they bounce off.

"Accursed men! Feel my wrath!" She opens her mouth, wide.

I run in, grab her, and toss her. I follow her path through the sky, until she lands in an empty field in Kansas, making a crater.

She gets up, unharmed. "You again! How dare you interfere with my affairs again!"

"Siobhan, what are you doing with Metallo?"

"He was merely a means to an end. We accepted a job from Lex Luthor. In return for stealing the treasures of that shipment, he will help me find the Necropolitic!"

"Sorry, but not today." We battle. I continually strike her before she has a chance to scream. Finally, she passes out. I go to the nearest farm and buy a few pipes and bars. I go back, tie her up, and gag her. That job finished, I carry her back to the museum.

I find the police bagging up Metallo's inert body. Flash runs up, and I start feeling weak. He is holding the kryptonite and grinning from ear to ear.

"Supes! I did it!"

"Flash! Get that thing away from me! Put it in the Justice League's storage! In a lead box!" He speeds off, then comes back.

"Done. What was that about?"

"Sorry. Those rocks are called kryptonite. I can't get near them without getting sick. That's why I had you take care of Metallo."

"Makes sense." He turns to Silver Banshee's form. "Too bad she's homicidal and a screamer. I would so rock her world."

"You've got to be kidding me. Hold on." I use my communicator. "Diana? Do you have anything on containing demons? And freeing a person from a contract with a demon? You do? Thanks." I hang up.

"Flash, take her to Diana. She'll deal with her. I'll clean up."

"Diana? All right, I'll do it!" He takes Banshee and leaves. I have a feeling he isn't coming back, anytime soon.

I chuckle. I turn the truck right-side-up and inspect it. "Hmmm, what is this?"

One of the cases is broken, and on the floor is a gemstone. A pitch-black gemstone.

"I've never seen such a thing. Other than its color, it looks like a perfectly cut diamond."

I pick the gem up, intending to return it to it's case. To my horror, the gem burrows into my hand! I scream in horrible agony and try to dig it out. Too late! It travels up my arm, until it settles in my heart. As the officers stare in bewilderment, I thrash and thrash, screaming to high heaven.

Then, the pain subsides. Breathing raggedly, I stand. I inspect my body, all the damage from the Blackrock's invasion is healed. _The Blackrock? How do I know it's called that? _

I suddenly realize I can't move! I struggle and struggle, with no result. Then, my body moves on its own and looks around. A sinister voice sounds in my head, making my blood run cold. _**This body is perfect. I am here to stay. With its incredible might, this world shall kneel at my feet!!! HA HA HA!!! **_I turn to the police, reduce them all to ashes with heat vision, then burst into laughter. _Oh God! Somebody! Anybody! HELP ME!!! __**No one can help you now. Enjoy the show, for my conquest is at hand!**_

_To Be Continued…_

**Author's Note: **Mr. Terrific would be played by Chiwetel Ejiofor (I don't know where Terrific is from, or what city he protected). Flash/Wally West would be played by Ryan Reynolds (Based on his performance as Deadpool). J'onn J'onzz would be played by Carl Lumbly. Hal Jordan/Green Lantern would be played by David Boreanaz. The voice of the Blackrock would be provided by Sam Witwer, using his Emperor Palpatine voice (Sam played both Starkiller/Galen Marek and Palpatine in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed).

Wonder Woman's traditional costume, while hot beyond belief, is utterly impractical and ridiculous. There is no way an Amazon would wear something like that. Greek armor makes more sense.

**Bio: **The Blackrock is a sentient life form that resembles a pitch-black gem. It can possess whoever touches it. It is pure evil. Its only weakness is that it cannot move when it does not have a host. It is dependent on another being curiously or deliberately picking it up.


	21. Monster

**Monster**

Despite my inner screams and struggles, all the people on the street are dead. I feel so sick, so horrified, but my body won't even weep, The Blackrock is the one using it. _**There, no more witnesses.** _I begin to fly back to the Justice League's base.

_**I have fought many battles throughout the centuries, passing from host to host. And each time, I learn. One cannot simply take the world at once and be done with it. One must be subtle, gather intelligence and power, and take the world, one piece at a time. I can't let the authorities and your teammates know of me, yet.**_

_What are you? How did you come to be in that museum shipment? _

_**Eons ago, I was a laboratory experiment made by a demented, alien scientist named Bertron. He had a dream to create the perfect life form. He figured a symbiote would do the job. Unbeknownst to him, I developed sentience. The specimens he provided were weak, they could not survive being bonded to me for long. Deeming his project a failure, he attempted to terminate me. **_

_**I was lucky, a thief broke into the lab and attacked him. Mistaking me for a jewel, she touched me. Taking her over, I began to explore the cosmos, taking over a new host when necessary. I soon developed a dream of my own, to rule. I have led many failed campaigns, ended when my host was either killed or imprisoned. **_

_**Around the late 1940's, I crash landed on Earth.**_

_The Roswell Incident?_

_**Precisely. In a stroke of ill fortune, my host was incinerated and I was buried, helpless. One day, archeologists dug me out, but to my annoyance, they always handled me with gloves. They sold their findings to the Central City Museum, where we met.**_

_**Bertron deserves a lot of credit. I do not age or require sustenance. I have learned to be very patient. I will live forever. Soon, I will rule forever. **_

_**For now, I will keep up appearances. **_I arrive at the base and enter. _Rule forever? Keep dreaming. Even with my power, that's impossible._

_**Wrong. I have all your memories, and have already mastered your abilities. And according to the files you had studied under Jor-El's tutelage, Kryptonians do not age as long as the sun is yellow. Your sun will remain yellow for another 5 billion years. I will not need to deal with **_**that **_**for a long, long time.**_

_**Hmm, Supergirl, Lady Marvel, Captain Marvel, The Greek Gods, and demons like The Crone are the only obstacles in the way, but they will be dealt with. In fact, if you are killed, I may even make one of **_**them**_** my new host. I cannot lose!**_

"Hey, Supes!" Yells Flash. "What took you so long?"

"Just needed time to think. Has Diana cured Silver Banshee, yet?"

"Bad news. This scary old lady warped in and rescued her. Trashed the place, too. But I cleaned it up."

"That's good. We'll get her next time. See you." _**You need food. Let's go.**_

We head for the cafeteria. A few are there, including J'onn, who is eating a bowl of Oreos.

"Greetings, Superman." He holds his head. "Strange, I sensed another mind where you were standing for a second."

_**Crap, he is a mind reader. **_

_Is that true!? J'onn, can you hear me!?_

_**Shut up. Besides, if he catches on, I'll just kill him.**_

"That is strange. Maybe you should get some sleep."

"Maybe I will." He leaves and I begin to eat.

The next day, everything was quiet, when my communicator goes off.

"Superman! It's Mary! Request backup! I'm in Fawcett City!"

"Hold on! On my way!"

I arrive to find a lot of wreckage. Lady Marvel is in the sky, battling some kind of muscular, demonic man. He starts to get the upper hand, so I rush in and tackle him, knocking him to the ground.

"Mary, what is that thing? And where is your brother?"

The brute flies up to us and attacks, so we fight him while she explains at the same time.

"Billy got knocked out by debris before he could transform. This guy used to be one of our coworkers, Timothy Karnes. Today, he just rushed into the radio station and said he was tired of being bullied. He declared he was now 'Sabbac' and black lightning came out the ground, transforming him."

"I see, he's just like Black Adam." Sabbac breathes a gust of flame, but we dodge.

Sabbac flies above us. "Sabbac!" Black lightning bursts out of the ground, directly under us, but we dodge, forcing Sabbac to dodge too.

"He _is _like Black Adam! Make the lightning hit him!" Sabbac begins to concentrate on his lightning attack. _**What luck, he is an idiot.**_

Finally, a bolt hits him, making him revert into a scrawny man. Lady Marvel catches him and sets him down.

"You haven't won yet! Sa…" I lunge and elbow him in the throat, crushing it. His eyes roll back and he goes limp. He's dead. _**One threat down.**_

"Ahhh! Superman, what did you have to kill him for!?" Lady Marvel screams.

I turn to her. "He tried to transform again. I had to stop him."

"That isn't like you. You should have just knocked him out."

I smirk. "You look hot when you pout like that." I grab her and forcefully kiss her. I may be being controlled like a puppet, but I am not numb. Overwhelming pleasure floods me.

Mary breaks the kiss, then slaps me across the face. "How could you? After what we went through on that forsaken island? How could you?" She storms away. In the distance, I can hear her start to cry.

Rage fills me. _You asshole!_

_**Be grateful. You enjoyed that too, admit it. I think I'll let her live. Every king needs a queen, after all.**_

I fly back to Metropolis. I greet Lois in her apartment. "Hi, honey." I lean in to kiss her, but she backs away.

"Don't touch me."

"What's the matter?"

"I watched the news, I know what you were up to in Fawcett City, with Lady Marvel. How dare you!?"

For the first time, the Blackrock loses its perfect composure. I feel rage fill it.

"Insolent wench!" I slap her, bringing her to the floor. I cover her mouth and grab her hair, making her tear up in pain. _No! Stop it! Stop it! Please!_

"You stupid bitch. Do you honestly think I care what you think? Do you? Be grateful that I even keep you around." I release her and fly away. She collapses and bursts into tears. _Lois! If only you could hear me! I'm sorry. I'm sorry._

_**She is of no consequence. She doesn't know how to contact the Justice League. For now, we need shelter. The Fortress of Solitude is out, Jor-El would detect me in a heartbeat. How about Ma and Pa's quaint little farm?**_

As I begin to fly out of the city, a golden lasso snares me, bringing me down. To both of our shock, I can't break out of it. Then, green bands form around me, further immobilizing me. To top it off, I feel the unbearable pain and fatigue of kryptonite upon me.

I look up. Diana is holding the lasso, and pulling tight. Hal is projecting the bands from his ring. Batman is holding the kryptonite sample that Flash had confiscated. Flanking them is J'onn.

"What is the meaning of this!?"

"I've detected your presence, Blackrock." Answers J'onn. "Hold him still while I extract it." He turns transparent, then his hand reaches into my chest like a ghost!

_**No! I won't let it end this way! I refuse!**_

I frantically scan the street, then fire my heat vision, punching through and hitting a gas line!

Boom!!! J'onn gets blown back, and due to the fire, he panics, returns to solid form and retreats. Hal loses his concentration, causing the bands to vanish. Diana loses her grip on the lasso, and Batman and the kryptonite get knocked out of range.

As I shrug out of the lasso, Diana draws her sword and charges. I catch her arm, grunting with effort, then swing her into Hal, knocking both against a lamppost and out. I spot Batman sifting frantically through the debris, searching for the kryptonite. I chuck a piece of the street at his head. His armor protects him, but he is knocked out cold. The population everywhere is in total panic.

"Ha! Your plan failed miserably! Forget subtlety, time to finish you off, and claim this planet!"

"Get away from them!"

I look up. It's Captain Marvel!

"Well, if it's a fight you want, bring it on!"

We charge at each other at super speed, then our fists collide. I get knocked back, plowing a trench along the street! Marvel gets knocked back too, but manages to slow himself down and land on his feet.

_**Impossible! He can't possibly be stronger than this body! **_

"I'll get you for that!" I charge at him again. We collide, making a tremendous shockwave. We both get knocked back, but I land on my ass again. I growl. I begin to attack wildly, but Billy maintains the advantage and knocks me around a bit.

_Ha. Who's in control now? You fancy yourself a conqueror, yet in the end, you're nothing but a spoiled bully! You can never win, his strength comes from the magic of a great wizard, while mine is finite!_

_**Shut up!**_

My ploy works. While rage makes me stronger, as noted in my battle with Kalibak, it is also causing the Blackrock to fight sloppily. Suddenly, I bear hug Captain Marvel, then plunge all the way from the sky to the ground, creating a massive crater!

At its bottom, panting heavily, I look down on his seemingly unconscious form. I begin to laugh in triumph, but he gets behind me at super speed, then bear hugs me, holding me up.

"SHAZAM!!!" The holy lightning comes down, striking me in the chest and burning off my shirt!

"Ahhh!!!" I scream, in such unbearable pain. I feel the Blackrock scream, as well.

"SHAZAM!!!" I get zapped again!

"SHAZAM!!!" As the third bolt descends, I elbow Marvel in the gut, freeing myself, then grab his mouth and pull him in its path.

He transforms back into Billy Batson. He stares at me with a mixture of fear and defiance, unable to free his mouth from my hand.

"Not so tough now, are you, Billy? I was thinking of using you for my new host, but I have changed my mind. After all, in your human form, your existence is worth absolutely nothing!"

He grunts and kicks me between the legs. No effect.

"What did I tell you? Worth absolutely _nothing_."

Before the Blackrock can do anything else, I feel an indescribable pain in my groin, forcing me to release Billy. Supergirl has snuck up behind me and given me a low blow. She proceeds to pummel me, while Lady Marvel tends to the now passed out Billy.

I roar, and release even more pent up aggression. I gain the upper hand. Lady Marvel jumps in, but I kick her away, with so much force that her ribs crack! She flies into the side of the crater, and stays there. _Mary, no!_

I knock Supergirl senseless, then proceed to strangle her!

"Die, bitch, die!" I scream maniacally.

A faint whisper breaks through. "Please, stop it! Please!"

I turn around. Mary has crawled out of the hole, barely able to breathe or move, and is sobbing at the horrible act I am committing.

_No, your tears. I never want to see you in any pain, ever._

With a roar, I release Kara's throat. _**Impossible!**_

The effort to maintain control is the most exhausting thing I have ever experienced, but I press on. I retrieve metal tongs from Batman's utility belt. Then, I locate the kryptonite in the rubble, and move to it. The unbearable pain and fatigue is upon me once more.

_**Stop! What are you doing!? Have you gone mad!?**_

_Ending this! _

I pick it up, not caring that it is burning my hand like a hot coal. Screaming, I use it to slice my chest open, splitting my breastbone down the middle. I grow dizzy and faint from the loss of blood, but I keep going! I reach for the Blackrock with the tongs, and tug.

_**I am defeated, but so are you! Even if you survive, look around you. Everyone, especially your precious Lois, now thinks you are a monster! You will be hated and feared by the very people you've sworn to protect! You've lost. YOU'VE LOST!!!**_

_At least they'll be safe. _The Blackrock comes free. In absolute contempt, I blast it with my heat vision, until it is nothing but ashes. I do the same to the kryptonite. The last of my strength gone, I pass out.

_To Be Continued…_

**Author's Note: **Sabbac/Timothy Karnes would be played by Andy Serkis.

I have no idea where the Blackrock truly came from in comics continuity. Bertron was the mad scientist who created Doomsday. In his obsessive quest to create the perfect life form, I think it is plausible that he created other monsters before his final project, Doomsday.

In Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, Superman admitted that when it comes to sheer brute force, Captain Marvel wins. Superman won by pretending to be knocked out, then hitting him in the back of the head when he dropped his guard. The Superman/Captain Marvel fight was also inspired by the final battle in The Matrix: Revolutions, as well as Kingdom Come and the JLU ep _Clash_.

The ending is based on the Danny Phantom ep, _Public Enemies_. When Danny defeats Sheriff Walker, he points out that he has convinced the town that Danny was the bad guy. Walker gives a similar "You've lost!" speech. Danny declares that no matter what, he will always remain a hero.


	22. Succubus

**Succubus**

**Author's Note: **Sorry about my writer's block. But now I'm back!

I groan. Opening my eyes, I find myself in a hospital bed in the Justice League's sick bay. I check my chest. There is no sign of any injury.

A nurse calls into the hall. "He's awake!"

In rushes my parents, Mae, Lois, Jimmy, and a few members of the Justice League.

"Son, you're okay!" Sobs my mother.

"Good to have you back." Remarks my father.

"Thought we lost you, buddy." Remarks Flash.

"How long was I out?" I ask.

"Three days." Answers Lois. She caresses my cheek. "They told me what happened, about the Blackrock, that you weren't yourself. Everything is going to be all right."

Something clicks in my mind, something I had forgotten. "What happened to Lady Marvel!? She had fractured ribs!" I yell frantically.

"Calm yourself. By transforming to her human form, she was able to heal completely. She is on duty." Answers J'onn.

"That's a relief." I sigh.

"Yeah, sure." Lois scowls and stomps away. _Crap._

Flash laughs. "Looks like we found something you're _not _super at."

"Oh, shut up, Wally."

As my body was completely healed, the doctors eventually discharged me. I noticed a few of the superheroes, especially Batman, eyed me with discomfort and paranoia. _Damn that rock…_

It was now February 19, 1989. Just one more day until my wedding. The months leading up this moment were not kind. Not kind at all…

The Justice League's existence had been made public prematurely, thanks to the Blackrock's joyride in my body. Since I made the mistake of destroying it, a vast majority of the people believed the whole event had been staged, to gain their trust. Lex Luthor funded several campaigns to declare us as planning an invasion.

We were nearly forced to disband, until a madman called Ra's Al Ghul emerged. Declaring humanity a plague upon the Earth, he attempted to release biological weapons into major cities around the world. Using our combined strengths, we thwarted this attack. Flash gained our respect and truly proved himself Fastest Man Alive when he went beyond his limits and caught a rain of plague canisters dropped simultaneously on New York City and Hollywood.

We attempted to apprehend the terrorist, but he somehow escaped. We all searched a majority of the planet, but could not locate him.

Nonetheless, this gave the League some much needed PR. We are not naïve, Lex Luthor, several government officials, and some of the citizens still hate us, and we are always cautious.

Lois accused me of wanting an affair with Lady Marvel, and it took a long time to placate her. But I succeeded.

In one day, I will be married to Lois Joanne Lane. All I have to do now, is survive the bachelor party…

_How did I agree to do this? What was I on? _I ask myself as I allow Jimmy and Wally (out of costume) to lead me to some seedy club in downtown Metropolis.

"It's going to be fun, Clark!" Asserts Jimmy.

"You'd better appreciate it, Boy Blue, I liquidated a fifth of my savings to pitch in!" Adds Wally.

"Seriously!?" I ask, bewildered.

"Serious. I make joke and flirt around a lot, but I have a steady job, several odd jobs, _and _I make good investments. Besides, after all we've been through, you deserve the best for your last night as a single man. You are one of my best friends."

"Thank you." I say, truly touched.

We enter. Immediately, I am besieged by the strippers. Wally shoos them away. "Not yet, he may be a hunk, but he still needs to get to the wedding in one piece!" We all laugh.

I notice several of my coworkers, a few friends from Smallville, Billy Batson, Hal Jordan, and some of their friends.

"Let's get this party started!" I yell. Everybody cheers.

We bring out the beer, the music, the lap dances, everything.

After a little while, Billy walks up with a familiar face. "Hey Clark, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine, Freddy Freeman."

I get a little grumpy, but shake his hand. "What's the matter?" He asks.

"Oh, nothing. Excuse me."

I walk over to a corner, but Billy catches up. "I don't need my powers to know something is up with you. What is it?"

"Promise you'll keep it between us?"

"Promise."

"I discretely visited Fawcett City a while back. I caught Mary and that guy kissing. It _bothered_ me."

"It bothered?… Oh, Jesus." He whispers as the implications sink in.

"At first, I thought it was just guilt from that damn incident on the island. But then, when that rock took me over, all I needed to break free was to see her crying."

"Can you go through with your marriage?"

"Yes. I'll get over it eventually. Hey, Lois often fantasizes about her old friend, Wes Keenan, and I don't have a problem with that."

We both laugh. "By the way, how are you and Courtney?"

"Doing great, she and Mary helped with Lois' bachelorette party."

"Nice."

"Hey, ladies! Watch me do a magic trick!" Yells Wally. Holding four to five balloons in his hands, he holds them behind his back, then pulls them out as a balloon hat, which he dons. _Impressive._

The strippers fawn over him, excitedly asking him how he did it.

Jimmy and Hal catch up to us. Jimmy sighs in admiration. "I'd give anything to have super speed."

"Now now, Mr. Olsen. Don't get any bright ideas or you'll make my sister mad." I tease.

We all share another laugh.

As the hours go by, I start to enjoy the party less and less. No matter how much I drink, my Kryptonian physiology prevents me from becoming drunk. Not to mention that I am stifled by my friend's antics, which are now repetitive. _I need to get out of here._

I walk out to Hal, who is the only other one of our inner circle who is still sober. "Thanks for the party, but it's time for me to go." Before he can react, I super speed away.

I don't stop running until I reach Suicide Slums, the darkest area of the city, comparable to Gotham. I break up a fight, then continue until I reach the town slaughter house. It is empty, so I enter and shack up in the freezer room. _Heh, just like home. _

I contemplate. _I feel so empty. I guess Father was right, "We may look and live amongst humanity, but we are not one of them. It is our eternal burden, to never truly belong."_

I hear someone enter. "Clark Kent. That's a strong name, I like it."

Standing before me is an enchanting woman with pale skin, blue eyes, and red hair, wearing a lovely green dress and silver sandals. She is not bothered by the cold.

"Who are you?"

"Maxima, Queen of Almerac. I've traveled far to find a man who is worthy." She holds up a small device and presses a button. A katana materializes in her hand!

"A katana!?" I ask.

"I've studied Earth history, and I admit I am impressed by this one fact. Just like mathematics, efficient designs are universal. It is only fair to warn you: this blade can easily harm you, Kryptonian."

I don't even have time to blink before she attacks with speed rivaling my own. I dodge, and sword pierces the concrete! _Guess I have no reason to doubt her._

She attacks again, and I fight back. I catch both her wrists, struggling against her incredible strength. "Why are you doing this?"

"You'll have to find out for yourself." She head butts me, knocking me to the wall. _Ouch, she's strong. I've got to kick it up a notch or I'm finished!_

She takes a swing, but I step up and punch her arm, making her cry out and drop the sword, which I grab. "You're dangerous enough without this." I quip before snapping it.

"Impressive. But what you say, is true." She laughs, and the objects in the room begin to float! They fly at me and I struggle under the barrage. _Damn, telekinesis!?_ I suddenly rocket into the ceiling, then fall to a thud. She tries the trick again, but this time I fly free and tackle her. The break in her concentration renders all the objects inert.

We grapple and strike, sending each other through trays and walls. Any actual injury we take heals within moments. _Hey, I've got to admit, I haven't had this much fun in ages. Wow, this is the first time I've ever enjoyed a fight. What are you, Maxima?_

Finally, I pin her to the floor, both of us breathing hard. "Alright, I want some answers. Why are you here? Why did you atta-"

She kisses me on the lips, deep, sensuous, and primal. A fog dampens my mind, filling it with lust. Like animals in heat, we mate. Again and again…

We awaken several hours later. "I hunger." She says.

I retrieve one of the hanging, frozen beef legs and easily cook it with my heat vision. "For you, My Queen."

"No, for us." We feast.

Afterwards, we resume our mating. My mind is filled with nothing but thoughts of pleasing, of connecting with Maxima.

A gasp sounds. Startled, we look up. Standing at the door, is Mary.

_To Be Continued…_

**Author's Note: **Maxima would be played by Charlotte Sullivan. Ra's Al Ghul would be played by Liam Neeson. This chapter is based on "Instinct", one of my favorite Smallville episodes of all time.

I'm not really sure but the freezer room of a slaughter house is supposed to look like, but I imagine it's like that scene from Rocky where he punches the meat. The specific reason why I used the term "mating" is because of "Instinct". When I watched that episode, it really looked like Maxima and Clark had devolved mentally into animals, in a sexy kind of way, if you know what I mean.

**Bios: **Ra's Al Ghul, whose name means "The Demon's Head", is a mysterious man over 600 years old, who regularly rejuvenates his body by bathing in a mystic pool called the Lazarus Pit. Due to his long life, he is a super genius, and has mastered almost every form of combat and strategy. His lifelong goal is to wipe out the human race, except for he and his followers, in order to preserve Mother Nature. Any criminal activities he does are merely to acquire sufficient resources to achieve his true goal. He respects Batman for his intelligence, skill, and willpower, considering him to be the only one worthy of becoming his heir. He has a low opinion of people with superpowers, believing that they squander their gifts for foolish reasons (Superman's "foolish reason" is his desire to help and protect the people). Ironically, he and the immortal Vandal Savage are enemies, because Savage wants to rule the human race, not destroy it.

Maxima is Queen of Almerac, a warrior race. Her strength, speed, and durability is roughly equal to Superman's. She can fly, use telekinesis, and is an incredible telepath. She is able to mentally manipulate almost any being, even Superman. However, her attempts to cause others to fall in love with her can be nullified by true love. She is obsessed with making Superman her mate, and cannot understand why he loves Lois, "a mere Earth woman", and not her, who is equal to him in power and genetically compatible. Due to her royal upbringing, she can be incredibly arrogant, but she is a true warrior, battling the forces of evil on many occasions.


End file.
